Elizabeth Martin: The Year of Changes
by Kris Pilar
Summary: Elizabeth Martin is ready to start her fourth year at Hogwarts. That excitement only grows when she learns that Hogwarts will be hosting the first Triwizard Tournament in centuries. Things start going downhill, however, when the champions are announced. An unexpected name begins to put strain on a friendship Elizabeth held dear.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** Welcome to the fourth installment of Elizabeth Martin's series. I have been looking forward to getting to this one since I started.

**Disclaimer:** As usual, I own nothing of J.K. Rowling's.

_**Chapter One:**_

Keeping a baby entertained was easier than expected. Of course, when the baby was barley five months old and couldn't crawl, it made things easier. It was quite easy keeping an eye on a baby when all she did was babble and laugh from where she lay on a pile of blankets on the floor.

Which was what fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Martin was doing. Well, not babbling in a pile of blankets. She was the one taking care of the babbling infant. The infant was her five-month-old cousin, Ursula Gretchen.

Elizabeth had learned quickly that her little cousin was learning to grab. And her favorite thing to grab was Elizabeth's hair if she leaned too close. Because of this, Elizabeth had begun keeping her shoulder-length brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Unfortunately, it didn't stop Ursula from gabbing hold of Elizabeth's glasses if she leaned too close, or when she picked up the baby.

Still, Elizabeth liked her cousin. She liked visiting her Aunt Ginger and helping take care of Ursula. Besides, Elizabeth had only just gotten to meet the baby the month before when she came home from her third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was only going to be home for the summer, and wouldn't see her family until Christmas, so she wanted to get to know little Ursula. So, Elizabeth had offered to help her Aunt Ginger during the days her aunt's husband, Xavier, was at work.

Though as Elizabeth sat there, playing with Ursula, the little baby was beginning to get fussy.

"I think Ursula is about ready for a nap, don't you?"

Elizabeth looked up to see her Aunt Ginger had come over, squatting down next to her. Like Elizabeth, her aunt had long brown hair, and like her, she'd learned to start keeping her hair pulled back out of her daughter's small hands.

"I'll admit, I'm getting tired of peek-a-boo for nearly an hour," Elizabeth said with a small laugh.

"I think anyone would," Aunt Ginger said, then picked up the baby, "Come on, Ursula, time to take a nap."

"Do you want me to clean this up?" Elizabeth asked, nodding to the blankets on the floor.

"Nah, I'll just pull them out later when Ursula wakes up," Aunt Ginger said, adjusting Ursula's weight on her side, "But if you want to help, why don't you make some sandwiches for lunch? Then we can really sit and chat while Ursula naps."

"Sounds good to me," Elizabeth said, getting to her feet and heading to the kitchen.

Elizabeth loved visiting her Aunt Ginger. And with her older brother, Lewis, worrying about his O.W.L. exam results, Elizabeth liked taking any chance she could to be away from home for the day. Her mother, Grace, was also fine with this arrangement, because it meant that Elizabeth was with 'a responsible adult' while Grace was working at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Not that Grace didn't think Lewis was capable, but he was still a year away from becoming of-age. Lewis often spent his time in the guest lounge at St. Mungo's, or visiting his friend, Cedric Diggory.

Elizabeth was just finishing with making a plate of ham sandwiches when Aunt Ginger had come back from the nursery and grinned.

"Ursula is settled," she said, sitting down at the table, giving a laugh, "Maybe we'll at least get five minutes."

"Ursula is an adorable little girl, though," Elizabeth said.

"Oh, she's perfect," Aunt Ginger said, then smirked, "At least, more than you were. You cried almost constantly. I just hope she's less of a handful once she gets to crawling."

"I don't think I was that bad," Elizabeth said.

"Oh, you were a terror," Aunt Ginger replied with a laugh, "You liked breaking anything you could get your hands on."

Elizabeth grinned a little, her face flushing. Her aunt loved telling stories of how much trouble Elizabeth had been as a toddler. Especially lately, now that she had a daughter of her own. She wasn't the only one. Elizabeth's own mother kept sharing stories often. Elizabeth had only been home for about a month, but she was already bored of them. Elizabeth's only comfort was that Lewis was being subjected to the same embarrassing baby stories.

"Heard from Ron yet?" Aunt Ginger asked after a few bites of sandwich.

Ron Weasley was one of Elizabeth's friends. One of three she was closest with, though they were in the Gryffindor House at Hogwarts rather than Hufflepuff like Elizabeth was. He had told Elizabeth—as well as her other two Gryffindor friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter—that his father was going to try and get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. It had been ages since the last time Britain had hosted it, and Elizabeth was eager for the chance to see it first-hand rather than listening to it on the radio like she'd done in the past.

"Not yet," Elizabeth said, "Ron said he'd write to let me know. At least Mum's already said I can stay with the Weasleys once he gets the tickets."

"Well, I figured she thought it was only fair since Lewis will be staying with Cedric," Aunt Ginger said.

"The only thing that's keeping Lewis from going mad with worry over his O.W.L.s," Elizabeth shook her head, "He's really excited the Diggorys invited him along."

Though Elizabeth thought it might be, just partly, because she would be going with Ron to the Quidditch World Cup. She remembered Cedric talking about how he wasn't sure he and his dad would go, because the prices were so high. Yet they managed to get a third ticket for Lewis anyway.

On that, Elizabeth wasn't all that sure how Mr. Weasley was going to be able to afford one ticket—let alone eleven. But Ron insisted that his father had connections at work and that it would happen. Elizabeth hoped so. Because if Mr. Diggory went through so much trouble to get a ticket for Lewis to go, because she was, and then Mr. Weasley didn't get the tickets, Elizabeth wasn't going to be very happy.

"Do you mind if I use your kitchen while I'm here?" Elizabeth asked, going to change the subject, "See, it's Harry's birthday in a week, and I want to make some biscuits to send him. Mum won't be home until late and I don't know when I'll get a chance to make them at home."

"Go right ahead," Aunt Ginger said, "Just remember, no asking for help."

"Oh, I know better. I have no idea how you survived before marrying Xavier."

"Keep it up, Liz, I'll take back the offer to use my kitchen."

Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head and cleaning up the plates. Aunt Ginger was a disaster when it came to cooking. Luckily for her, her husband was an excellent cook.

Elizabeth had been trying to learn more about cooking and baking over the last few summers, as she always found herself enjoying watching her mother cook an helping her when she was younger.

She wasn't really the best at it. In fact, she was barely good. But at least she wasn't horrible, and she wanted to give Harry something editable for his birthday. After all, not even a week after Elizabeth got home, she'd gotten a letter from Harry begging for help. Apparently his aunt and uncle had gotten notice from his cousin's school that Dudley was growing too large and needed to be put on a diet. And Harry didn't want to live the summer on carrots and celery.

Grace didn't see what the big deal was with a diet, but she didn't know the stories Harry told them about his aunt, uncle, and cousin. They practically starved him as it is. Now that the food was being cut short for everyone, Elizabeth knew Harry would need nourishment. So Elizabeth got together a box of assorted foods. A small casserole, a few loaves of bread, some various types of jerky, and some pickled food Elizabeth knew Harry liked. It was a mix of things for immediate days, and things that would last throughout the summer. Though if he was still with the Dursleys in another month, Elizabeth planned to send him another care package.

Elizabeth had just started putting the biscuits she finished baking into a container when the large fireplace in the kitchen flared up with green flames and Xavier Gretchen stepped out, dusting off his robes.

Xavier was a plain-looking man, lanky with dark blond hair and a hooked nose, but he was one of the friendliest people Elizabeth knew. He worked as an Obliviator at the Ministry of Magic, and was a member of Wizengamot. Elizabeth couldn't ask for a better uncle-in-law.

"You won't believe what I've just been asked to help on, Ging," Xavier said, a bright grin on his face, though as soon as he saw Elizabeth, he suddenly faltered a bit, "Oh, hi there. I didn't know you were here today, Elizabeth."

"Mum was working, and I told Aunt Ginger I'd help with Ursula," Elizabeth said, "You've been asked to help on something at the Ministry?"

"Oh..." Xavier started, looking uncomfortable. Elizabeth couldn't understand why.

"Is this about the Quidditch World Cup?" Aunt Ginger asked, coming over and kissing her husband on the cheek.

"Oh, yes," Xavier looked relieved, "They've asked me to work at the camp grounds. We're setting up around a Muggle area, and they need Obliviators to help with the Muggle family who runs the place."

"So you'll get to go to the World Cup?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure I'll be able to actually watch the match," Xavier said, "I'll probably spend most of my time keeping things in check around the place."

Elizabeth thought that had to suck. Getting so close to the Quidditch World Cup but not getting to see the match...Though Elizabeth wasn't too sure why Xavier would be excited about it. She'd be more put out that she was asked to work at an event but wouldn't get to experience it.

"I'm going to take it you're not the one who's been baking?" Xavier asked with a teasing glance at his wife. Aunt Ginger rolled her eyes.

"Liz wanted to use our kitchen to bake her friend a birthday gift," she said.

There was a loud crack from outside, and a few seconds later, Elizabeth's mother, Grace, came in. Like Ginger, she had brown hair and brown eyes, though Grace's was kept up in a neat bun and she was still wearing the lime green robes of a healer from St. Mungo's. She looked worn down, as if she hadn't seen sleep in days.

"Rough day?" Ginger asked.

"They brought in a couple of guys, both needing limbs reattached," Grace said, "They tried Apparating without a license and splinched themselves."

Elizabeth winced. She'd heard stories about people splinching themselves. She was lucky enough that it had never happened to her during her side-along trips with others.

"Are you ready to head home, Elizabeth?" Grace asked, "Lewis is waiting outside."

"Why won't he come in?" Aunt Ginger asked.

"He wants to get home and find out if he got his O.W.L. results yet," Grace said, rolling her eyes, "He thinks I'll be quicker in here if he's waiting just outside the door."

"Well, I am ready to get home," Elizabeth said, grabbing her box from the counter, "I'll see you later, Aunt Ginger."

"You're welcome to come help me with Ursula any time," Aunt Ginger said, looping her arm around her husband's.

"It's fun helping," Elizabeth said, "I'll come over again soon."

Elizabeth hugged her aunt, then bade goodbye to her uncle-in-law, before heading off with her mother. As she had said, Lewis was waiting outside for them and Elizabeth found herself hoping with O.W.L. results were waiting at home. She was getting tired of his sulking and worrying.


	2. Chapter Two

_**Chapter Two:**_

Lewis didn't get the letter he was waiting for until a week later. Elizabeth had just finished pulling on her dress and headed into the kitchen, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, when she saw Lewis and her mother at the table. Lewis was staring at a letter in his hands, his face pale. Grace was next to him and she grinned when Elizabeth sat at the table.

"Your school list came in today," she said, pushing a couple of letters to Elizabeth, "And one of your friends wrote."

Elizabeth took the letter and grinned brightly. It was from her friend, Harry. The past few years, he hadn't been able to write over the summer. After their first year was because a house elf had been stealing Harry's letters. And the last year, Harry's aunt and uncle had kept Hedwig locked away so Harry couldn't reply to letters sent to him. This past summer, however, unusual events led to Harry having a lot more freedom at the Dursleys.

Harry's godfather just happened to be a well-known Azkaban fugitive, Sirius Black. Elizabeth had learned only recently that Sirius was completely innocent of his supposed crimes, but to the rest of the wizarding world—and Muggle world—he was a criminal. Dangerous and on the loose. Because of this, Harry was able to have more freedom to write others, with the threat of a visit from his 'dangerous' godfather if Harry wasn't happy. Elizabeth had to admit, it was nice to get letters from him like she did with her other friends.

Elizabeth put down the letter and looked up to see Lewis was still staring at his O.W.L. results letter, it still unopened.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Elizabeth said, snatching the letter away and opening it herself.

"Hey, give that back!"

"Elizabeth, give Lewis back his letter," Grace said sternly. Elizabeth sighed, handing the enclosed parchment back to her brother.

"Just sitting there staring at it won't change the results, though," she said. She really hoped she didn't act like this in two years...

Lewis sighed, finally pulling out the piece of parchment inside the envelope. He started to look over his scores and Elizabeth watched his face slowly relax. Then, he began to frown and slumped back in his chair.

"What's wrong, Lewis?" Grace asked.

"Acceptable in Charms and Transfiguration," he said, "Poor in Potions. I won't be able to keep taking those classes..."

"Oh..." Elizabeth said slowly. Lewis had always been set on working at the Improper Use of Magic office, but someone needed N.E.W.T. level grades in those classes to be able to get a job there. Lewis not getting those grades meant he wouldn't be able to work where he'd been wanting to...

"I'm sorry, Lewis," Grace said softly, "I know how much you were counting on those grades. I'm sorry to say, but not everyone is cut out for their first choice in career. I'm sure if you take in the O.W.L.s you did get, and concentrate hard in your N.E.W.T. years, you'll get a job you love. Maybe it'll surprise you and you love it even more than the idea of your first dream job."

Lewis frowned. It was clear he didn't quite believe that, but he got to his feet, grabbing a piece of toast.

"I'm going to go write Cedric," he said.

"Don't take too long," Grace said, "I won't have a day off for a while, so we're going to go today to get your school supplies."

On that, Elizabeth looked down to her school list, still enclosed in its letter. She opened it and scanned over, finding the list about the same as normal. There was a new book for Defense Against the Dark Arts—as she expected, since they would have a new teacher this year—and there was _The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 4_. Though at the bottom of the list was something Elizabeth didn't expect.

"Dress robes?" she read out loud, having to look over the words several times to realize they really were on her list. Dress robes. The only special occasions Hogwarts ever had were the start-and-end-of-term feasts, and the Halloween feast. They never had to wear dress robes for them. Why were they suddenly on her list?

"What?" Grace reached out and took Elizabeth's list, looking over it. She sighed and took Lewis's unopened list on the table and checked it as well. "He has dress robes on his, too...It's going to be a bit of a strain this year. I have to get Lewis N.E.W.T. year books for all his classes, there's your books, you both need new robes, you've been outgrowing yours...And now I have to buy two sets of dress robes?"

Elizabeth's family wasn't exactly _poor_, not like her friend Ron. Of course, he was part of a family with seven children, four of which were still in school and one had only just finished his education. That tended to put a strain on money. Elizabeth often found herself grateful for how her family was when she thought about how the Weasleys lived.

Usually, the list wouldn't be so daunting. But in the past month, Grace already had to buy both Elizabeth and Lewis new clothes—they were both outgrowing theirs.

"Do you think the robes you wore to Ginger's wedding still fit?" Grace asked, looking to Elizabeth, "I remember they were a bit too long on you before, maybe they'll fit easier now. It would save some galleons."

Elizabeth resisted the urge to groan. It wasn't so much the dress robes. She had actually liked them—despite being a bit long and too heavy for a summer wedding. It was more the situation around them. After all, Elizabeth had her first date, and first kiss, in that dress at her aunt's wedding. It could have been sentimental, but the relationship had ended very badly. Elizabeth pretty much avoided Tobias Marsh when she could, and they rarely, if ever, spoke.

Hogwarts never had big events, never anything where they needed dress robes. So for it to be on the list, it had to be something huge. And to think of wearing that dress, and Tobias seeing her in it again...Elizabeth knew it was shallow, and selfish, but she found herself hoping the dress robes in her wardrobe were beyond hope fitting on her.

"I can go try them on before we head out," Elizabeth said.

"I already know Lewis' won't fit," Grace said, "I swear, that boy had to have grown half a foot in the past year..."

Elizabeth sighed, getting up and heading to her room, taking her letter from Harry with her. She put it on her bedside table, pinning it under her lamp to keep Cream, her Siamese cat, from knocking it off while they were gone.

Elizabeth went over to her wardrobe, digging through to the back where simple, red dress robes made of heavy velvet. She changed into it, holding her breath and guiltily hoping it wouldn't fit...

But it did. Barely. The dress had been too long a year before, but the length was fine now. The sleeves just came to her wrists, and the hem brushed slightly against the floor. The only thing was that the dress was now a bit tight around her chest, making it slightly uncomfortable.

Elizabeth glanced at herself in the mirror nearby, frowning. She just kept thinking about the last time she wore this, a year ago...The date with Tobias, how badly the relationship went...She suddenly had the wild idea to cause an 'accident' to destroy the robes...

There was a knock on the door and Elizabeth looked up to see her mother had leaned in.

"Oh, it still looks so lovely on you, Elizabeth," she said, coming on in and looking Elizabeth over.

"It's kinda tight," Elizabeth muttered, looking down, "A bit hard to breathe."

"I'm sure Ginger can let it out some," Grace said, "And you'd never notice the difference."

Elizabeth sighed a little. She knew her mother was right. There was no point in going and buying new robes when she had a pair that worked perfectly fine with a bit of work. She just wasn't so sure about wearing a dress linked to a relationship that ended badly...

"Get changed," Grace said, "And then we'll head off to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies."

Elizabeth nodded, watching her mother leave before she changed back into her dress from earlier. She headed on into the kitchen, where she saw Lewis had reappeared. He didn't look any happier than earlier, however. Elizabeth hoped he would cheer up soon. The Quidditch World Cup was just a couple weeks away...That'd probably help.

She also found herself wishing she wouldn't have to go through the same thing in two years. It had been her dream to be a Healer, like her mother, for as long as she could remember. She'd never even considered anything else. But, like Lewis, Elizabeth wasn't all that great in Charms...What would she do if she got her O.W.L. results and she failed Charms?

'_You have two years to think on that, you can improve your Charms,' _Elizabeth thought. For now, she just needed to focus on the present.

**xxxxx**

The rest of August past slowly and normally for Elizabeth, though she constantly found herself watching for any notice from Ron about the Quidditch World Cup. Thankfully, her answer came in the last week of her summer vacation, just days before the Quidditch World Cup would happen.

Lewis—who had become a bit more cheerful the closer the Quidditch World Cup came—was currently packing to spend the last bit of summer with Cedric, since they were going to the World Cup together. Elizabeth had been cleaning up the dishes from breakfast while her mother read the _Daily Prophet_. Elizabeth had just put away the last of the dishes when she noticed something small and brown flying around overhead.

"Pig! When'd you get here?" Elizabeth asked, reaching up to try and coax the little owl towards her.

Pig—short for Pigwidgeon—was Ron's owl. Apparently, Ginny had been responsible for the name, though Elizabeth thought it was cute.

Elizabeth finally got the owl to come to her and took the letter from him, quickly opening it. She was eager for any update on whether his father had gotten the tickets to the Quidditch World Cup...

_Elizabeth,_

_We__'__re going to the Quidditch World Cup! Dad got the tickets yesterday! We__'__re going to leave on Saturday. Can you come over before then? We__'__re going to go get Harry from those Muggles Friday. Mum said you can stay at our place for the rest of the summer. We__'__re inviting Hermione, too. And Harry will stay, of course. There__'__s no way we__'__d let him stay with that aunt and uncle of his._

_Let us know!_

_Ron_

"Mum!" Elizabeth turned quickly to her mother still at the table, "Ron's dad got the tickets! He wants to know if I can come stay at his place for the rest of the summer. Can I go today?"

"What?" Grace looked up, then sighed, "Of course. Lewis will already be leaving soon for the Diggorys, I guess it'll be fine for you to leave, too." Grace grinned. "Plus, a little peace a bit earlier would be nice."

"Very funny," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes, "I'll write Ron. Is Aunt Ginger still coming today with my dress robes?"

"Yes. You should get packing. I'll make sure we have enough floo powder still and send you to the Weasleys this afternoon."

Elizabeth nodded, heading to her room and grabbing a piece of parchment.

_Ron,_

_Mum says I can stay the week! I have to pack up quickly, but I'll be over around four today. See you then!_

_Elizabeth_

Elizabeth rolled up the parchment, chased down Pigwidgeon, then sent the little owl off out the window. She grinned, watching Pig fly away, then she rushed back to her room to pack. She was going to the Quidditch World Cup!

Elizabeth was just getting the last of her school books into her trunk and was about to start on her robes when there was a knock on the door. She looked up to see her aunt had come in, carrying something wrapped in cloth in her arms.

"I got your dress robes finished," she said, "Want to try them on? Make sure they fit well now?"

"Good idea," Elizabeth said, "I'm leaving for a friend's in a few hours."

Aunt Ginger nodded, putting down the bundle on Elizabeth's desk.

"I want to see you in it before you pack it up," she said, heading out of the room.

Elizabeth looked to the bundle and sighed, figuring she might as well get this over with. After all, her aunt had to have worked hard on this, in between taking care of Ursula...

Slowly, Elizabeth unwrapped the dress robes and changed into them. She could already tell they fit better. They hugged against her, but didn't squeeze her. She smoothed down the red fabric, then blinked. The hems of the sleeves now had a type of swirling silver design sewn into it that hadn't been there before...

Elizabeth went quickly to the mirror to study herself, and noticed that the same hemming was now around the neckline of the dress robes. She reached up, running her fingers along the design. It seemed her aunt was trying to help distinguish the robes a little...Elizabeth grinned a little. It wasn't much of a change, but it was still there. Maybe she really could do this. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad wearing the same robes around Tobias again...


	3. Chapter Three

_**Chapter Three:**_

Elizabeth hated traveling by floo powder. She always felt closed in stepping into the fireplace, even more since she had to keep her arms tucked in tight. The spinning made her dizzy, and she always stumbled when it came for a stop.

Though it was over in seconds, and Elizabeth found herself in a small kitchen, her trunk in one hand and carrier with Cream in the other. She was quickly greeted by one of her best friends, Ron Weasley, coming over to her with a grin.

"You made it!" he said, "Mum's cleaning upstairs, she said for me to take you up as soon as you were here."

"Can I let Cream out first?" Elizabeth asked, "She doesn't like her carrier much."

"Yeah, sure," Ron said, "You're the first one here. Hermione's letter got back about an hour ago, she said her parents will drop her by tomorrow morning."

Elizabeth nodded, letting Cream out of the carrier. The cat immediately began exploring. Elizabeth let her, grabbing her trunk and following Ron up a narrow flight of stairs. They'd just reached the second floor when they ran into Mrs. Weasley, who wasn't alone. With her was a tall man with long red hair pulled back in a ponytail and a fang hanging from one of his ears.

"Really, Bill, you should let me cut this," Mrs. Weasley was saying, "It's becoming so long..."

"I like it like this, Mum," the red-haired man said. So he was Bill, Ron's oldest brother. The one who worked as a curse breaker at Gringotts.

Mrs. Weasley looked like she was about to argue more, but she saw Elizabeth standing there and she started grinning.

"Elizabeth! I'm so glad you made it!" she said, coming over and hugging the girl, much to Elizabeth's embarrassment, "You haven't met Bill yet, have you?"

"Hello," Bill said, holding out his hand, "Ron's told me a lot about you."

"Um, thanks," Elizabeth said slowly as she shook Bill's hand, "He's told me about you, too."

"But I'm sure you want to get settled in," Mrs. Weasley said, "You'll be staying in Ginny's room, right down the hall here. Ron, I need you to bring down your laundry so I can start washing."

Ron groaned, looking to Elizabeth.

"I'll meet you downstairs later," he said, heading on up a nearby stairway.

Elizabeth turned, dragging her trunk to the room Mrs. Weasley pointed out and knocked before she opened the door slightly.

"Hello?" she said cautiously as she stepped in.

A small, red-haired girl looked up from the nearby desk and grinned.

"Hey Elizabeth," she said.

"Hey Ginny," Elizabeth replied, pulling her trunk in, "I hear we're roommates for a while."

"Yeah, pick a cot," Ginny said, motioning to the pair of cots on one side of her brightly decorated room.

Ginny Weasley was Ron's younger, and only, sister. Elizabeth never really talked to her much—after all, Ginny was in Gryffindor while Elizabeth was in Hufflepuff, and Ginny rarely hung out around them. Elizabeth felt this could be a good opportunity to get to know the girl better.

At least she could tell immediately what music Ginny liked and her favorite Quidditch team. Her walls were covered in posters from the band The Weird Sisters, and of the Quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies—the only fully female Quidditch team.

Elizabeth pulled her trunk over to one of the cots and sat down.

"Excited to go to the World Cup?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" Ginny turned her chair to Elizabeth, "Did Ron tell you? Dad got tickets to seats in the _Top Box_!"

"What?" Elizabeth dropped her brush in shock, from where she was unpacking daily things she would need, "Top Box tickets? How...How did he manage that?"

"He's friends with Ludo Bagman, who's head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports now."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. Ludo Bagman was a very well known Quidditch player. The fact that Mr. Weasley knew him well enough to get nearly a dozen top box seat tickets...That was impressive.

"I'm sure Harry will love that," Elizabeth said, "He's going to be here tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"I think so?" Ginny said, "At least, that's when Dad said he's going to go get him."

Elizabeth remembered Ginny used to have a bit of a crush on Harry a couple of years ago. It seemed she'd grown out of it, however. After all, if she still fancied him, wouldn't she have been more interested in knowing for sure when he was going to be over? Elizabeth decided not to press it, though.

Elizabeth spent the next hour talking with Ginny, getting to know the girl better. Mostly they talked about their Quidditch teams they supported and what classes at Hogwarts they liked. Though Elizabeth did learn that Ginny wanted to play Quidditch professionally once she left Hogwarts.

"Why don't you try out for the Gryffindor team?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because Oliver Wood thinks the team is perfect as is and doesn't want to mess with it," Ginny said, "Besides, I'd like to play Chaser. And Katie, Angela, and Alicia are all great."

"Do you ever play with your brothers at home?"

"Not really," Ginny said with a shrug, "They're usually off practicing with each other. I sneak into the broom shed and practice at night, though."

"You should talk to them," Elizabeth finished putting things away on top of her trunk and turned to Ginny, "If they knew you were this interested in playing, they might help you practice."

Ginny frowned and didn't answer. Or at least, she didn't get a chance to. Mrs. Weasley's voice suddenly came from one of the floors above.

"Fred! George! What in heaven's name is this?"

Elizabeth and Ginny both went to the door of the room, just as Fred and George were coming up from downstairs.

"What's Mum doing?" George asked slowly.

"She's been cleaning, why?" Ginny asked.

Fred and George exchanged a look that told Elizabeth that they expected trouble, and they hurried on up the stairs. Elizabeth and Ginny followed, reaching the next floor as Ron was just coming down from an upper floor with a basket of clothes.

Fred and George were standing in the middle of the hallway, their mother standing in the doorway of a room, holding a long piece of parchment. There was a look of anger on her face that reminded Elizabeth of the times she was in trouble with her own mother. It wasn't a look any child wanted to see on their mother's face.

"Mum, we can explain," George said quickly.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?" Mrs. Weasley asked, holding up the parchment, "What's with these order forms? And what is this list? Canary Creams? Ton-Tongue Toffee? What are you up to?"

"Well, we had this idea," Fred said, "When we get done with Hogwarts, we'd open up a joke shop. That's just—"

"A _joke shop_?" Mrs. Weasley's face went red as she straightened herself up, "What in heaven's name gave you two such a ridiculous idea as opening a joke shop? No wonder you two barely got any O.W.L.s! You should be focusing on getting a job at the Ministry like Arthur and Percy!"

"Why would we want to work at the Ministry?" George asked shortly, "We're going to open a joke shop!"

"Oh no you're not!" Mrs. Weasley pulled out her wand, burning the parchment in her hand, "And all that stuff in boxes in your room, you're going to get rid of all of it!"

"We should go," Ginny said, tugging at Elizabeth's sleeve, "Before we get caught in the fire."

Elizabeth nodded, glancing to Ron, who was trying to skirt around his brothers without being noticed by Mrs. Weasley. Soon, Elizabeth, Ron, and Ginny were back downstairs—Ron left his basket of clothes on the kitchen table—and out the door into the garden. They could still faintly hear Mrs. Weasley yelling from in the house.

"Mum's at it again?"

Elizabeth looked up to see Bill in the yard, but there was also another man. He was shorter, but his hair was still as red as the other Weasleys. He was dressed simply, and Elizabeth noticed he had a few burn scars. She took a guess this was the last of the Weasleys she hadn't met—Charlie, who worked with dragons.

"Did you know Fred and George were planning a joke shop?" Ron asked, looking over his shoulder, "Mum just found this list of items in their room."

"They were even making things," Ginny said, shaking her head, "I mean, we've always heard the noise, but..."

"Well, Fred and George always had their own way of doing things," Charlie said, shrugging, "As for me, I hope they go for it. Zonko's could use some competition."

Elizabeth thought as long as they were thinking it through and really wanted it, she didn't see anything wrong with being a business owner. Maybe she'd talk to Lewis about it, suggest he look into working at a store...Fred and George were planning to be successful without many O.W.L.s, maybe Lewis would find something, too.

**xxxxx**

Mrs. Weasley had only marginally calmed down by the time Mr. Weasley and Percy had come home from work. Elizabeth felt a bit uncomfortable at the dinner table that night, sitting between Ron and Ginny. Mrs. Weasley was tense through the dinner, casting suspicious glances towards Fred and George, who stayed unusually quiet. Bill and Charlie were talking adamantly with their father over the Quidditch World Cup. Percy kept to himself, and Elizabeth just talked with Ginny and Ron over Quidditch teams. She was used to being around large groups of people at a table, given the Great Hall at Hogwarts. But were in the Weasley home was different.

For one, the room was much smaller than the Great Hall. At Hogwarts, she was at crowded tables, but the room never felt crowded. It was large and spacious with a high ceiling that reflected the sky outside. The Weasley kitchen was small and cramped, with barely any room around the edge of the tables and walls. It made Elizabeth felt a bit closed in.

Despite the cheerful nature, she found herself glad when dinner was done and Mrs. Weasley was shooing everyone to bed—Ginny said they usually would spend afternoons hanging out in the family room. Mrs. Weasley was apparently still miffed over what she'd found in Fred and George's room.

"How long will Mrs. Weasley be mad at them?" Elizabeth asked once she and Ginny got ready for bed and Elizabeth sat on her cot to brush her hair.

"It depends," Ginny said, "Sometimes she'll have let it go by the next day, sometimes she'll stay angry for over a week. Considering how much Fred and George went through on this? It might be at least a week this time."

"I don't see what's wrong with opening a joke shop," Elizabeth said as Cream jumped up onto her makeshift bed, "I mean, if they love it and are successful, then what's the problem?"

"Mum thinks they need to be more 'sensible'," Ginny said, "Something respectable like working at the Ministry like Dad and Percy, or working with Gringotts Bill. She doesn't like Charlie's work much either, she thinks it's too dangerous. But Charlie loves it."

"You're lucky to get to do something you love," Elizabeth said, thinking about Lewis and how his dream job had just been taken away from him, "Maybe she'll come around?"

Ginny just shrugged, pulling her covers up over her.

"We should get some sleep," she said, "Mum most likely will have us helping her clean tomorrow before Hermione and Harry get here."

"G'night then," Elizabeth said, settling down in her own bed, Cream curling up against her side.


	4. Chapter Four

_**Chapter Four:**_

Hermione arrived shortly after breakfast the next morning. Elizabeth spent most of the day out in the Weasley garden with her, Ron, and Ginny. Mainly to avoid the arguing inside. Apparently, Fred and George had actually created many of the joke items that they'd had their list—to sell to Hogwarts students, from what Elizabeth could gather—and Mrs. Weasley was making them throw it all out. Elizabeth knew it was best to stay out of that.

So she was out in the garden, watching Cream and Crookshanks chase down the gnomes. Crookshanks, living in a Muggle home the past year and a pet shop before, hadn't encountered gnomes before. Cream, however, was quite used to them.

"Honestly, what were those two thinking?" Hermione asked, watching Fred and George bringing out another box of what looked like wands, "A joke shop?"

Bushy-haired and intelligent, Hermione was the type who was a stickler for rules. Elizabeth wasn't all that surprised that her friend didn't agree with Fred and George's plans any more than Mrs. Weasley did.

"Look at how successful Zonko's is," Elizabeth pointed out, "Besides, this is Fred and George. I don't really see them taking a serious job at the Ministry."

Hermione frowned, but didn't seem to have a response for that.

Mrs. Weasley came out with an empty basket, starting for a line where clothes were drying.

"Ron," she said, stopping by the group lounging in the summer sun, "Arthur says they've finally got the Floo connection to Harry's home. They're ready to go pick him up."

"Great!" Ron said, getting to his feet and hurrying for the door.

Elizabeth got up too, eager to greet Harry when he arrived, but Mrs. Weasley had spoken up again.

"Girls, would you mind helping me with the laundry?" she asked.

Elizabeth sighed, turning from where she'd gone to follow Ron. She'd be able to tell Harry hello soon enough anyway. What were a few more moments?

So Elizabeth helped Mrs. Weasley with folding her laundry, getting everything neatly into the basket. It was nice helping out, and chatting with the others. They finally finished a few minutes later and started back towards the house. Though as they got closer, Elizabeth could hear Mr. Weasley, who didn't sound at all happy.

"That's not the point! You wait until I tell your mother—"

"Tell me what?" Mrs. Weasley asked, coming in behind Elizabeth.

Mr. Weasley had his back to the door, and Bill and Charlie were sitting at the table while Fred, George, and Ron were standing across from their father. And next to Ron was Harry Potter. He'd gotten taller over the summer, like Elizabeth herself had. His hair was as dark as ever, if a bit longer, and he still wore clothes that were far too big and a pair of bottlecap glasses that seemed a bit small for his face now.

Elizabeth beamed at Harry, giving him a wave from behind Mrs. Weasley, as did Hermione, and he grinned back. Elizabeth had to admit, it was great to see him again.

"Tell me _what_, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a stern voice. The same tone she'd had the day before when she found Fred and George's list for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"It's nothing, Molly," Mr. Weasley said cautiously, "Fred and George just—but I've had words with them—"

"What have they done this time? If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes—"

"Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" Hermione spoke up suddenly.

"He knows where he's sleeping," Ron said irritably, "In my room, he slept there last—"

"We can all go," Hermione said, already starting for the stairs. Elizabeth, sensing an argument coming from Mrs. Weasley, followed.

"Yeah, we'll come too," George said.

"_You stay where you are!_" Mrs. Weasley yelled.

Elizabeth hurried on past the others, heading on up the stairs with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. She'd seen Mrs. Weasley angry yesterday and wasn't eager to repeat the experience.

"What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked as they reached the second floor.

"Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred and George's roo," Ron said with a laugh, "Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, I never knew they'd been inventing all that..."

"We've been hearing explosions out of their room for ages," Ginny added, "We never thought they were _making_ things. We thought they just liked the noise."

"Only most of the stuff—well, all of it, really—was a bit dangerous," Ron went on, "And, you know, they were planning to sell it at Hogwarts to make some money, and Mum went mad at them. Told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it, and burned all the order forms. She's furious at them anyway. They didn't get as many O.W.L.s as expected."

"And then there was this big row because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magi like Dad, and they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop."

"I really don't see the problem with a joke shop, if they want to do it," Elizabeth said as a door opened and Percy leaned out, looking annoyed.

"I was wondering who was making all the noise," Percy said, "I'm trying to work in here, you know—I've got a report to finish for the office—and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keep thundering up and down the stairs."

"We're not _thundering_," Ron shot back, "We're walking. Sorry if we're disturbing the top-secret workings of the Ministry of Magic."

"Come on, let's get going," Elizabeth said, not wanting a lecture from Percy. She liked him well enough, but his pompous attitude got on her nerves sometimes.

They made their way on up the stairs to an attic bedroom, which was decorated with Chudley Cannons posters, and even the bedspread over the bed held their logo. Three cots were set up in the room as well. Perched on a desk was an owl cage where Pig was hooting away and bouncing around.

"Shut up, Pig," Ron said, then looked to the others, "Fred and George are in here with us, because Bill and Charlie are in their room. Percy gets to keep his room all to himself because he's got to _work_."

"Hermione and I are bunking in Ginny's room," Elizabeth said, making her way through the crowded beds and sitting on the edge of one. Hermione sat next to her while Harry and Ron sat on another and Ginny sat at the desk.

"Percy's enjoying work, then?" Harry asked.

"Enjoying it? I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him," Ron said with a snort, "He's obsessed. Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. _According to Mr. Crouch...As I was saying to Mr. Crouch...Mr. Crouch is of the opinion...Mr. Crouch was telling me..._They'll be announcing their engagement any day now."

Elizabeth snorted, then looked at Harry.

"But what about you?" she asked, "I mean, with that diet the Dursleys are on...You got the food we sent, right?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Harry said, "They saved my life."

"Good," Elizabeth said, grinning brightly, "I was worried the Dursleys would completely starve you when that diet started."

"And have you heard from—" Ron started, but cut off with a glare from Hermione. Elizabeth understood why. The only other person, besides who was in this room, that Harry would be in contact with would be Sirius Black. And Ginny didn't know about what had happened a couple of months ago.

"I think they've stopped arguing," Hermione said simply, "Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?"

They headed on back downstairs with that, where they found Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen, standing tense. It seemed she was still angry over whatever Fred and George had done this time.

"We're eating out in the garden," she said sharply, "There's just not room for twelve people in here. Could you take the plates outside, girls? Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two."

Elizabeth immediately picked up the plates Mrs. Weasley had pointed out, heading out with Hermione and Ginny. She knew better than to cross an angry mother. They headed out into the garden where Bill and Charlie already were, both with their wands out, tables floating in the air in front of them.

"Hi girls," Bill said with a grin, "We were just getting the tables set up."

"We were just getting the tables ready," Charlie said, though since he wasn't looking up, his table bumped into Bill's.

"Oh, is that how it's going to be?" Bill asked, smirking at his brother before making his table push Charlie's back.

In a matter of moments, Bill and Charlie had ended up in a battle with each other, trying to push the other's table out of the air. Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh, enjoying the show. Fred and George were nearby, each cheering on one of their brothers.

"Isn't this dangerous?" Hermione asked behind Elizabeth and Ginny.

"No, it's fun," Ginny said, laughing brightly, "Go Bill!"

Elizabeth heard footsteps and looked over her shoulder to see Harry and Ron coming out, each carrying a handful of cutlery. Elizabeth grinned at them before turning back to the show, just as Bill ended up knocking one of the legs off Charlie's table.

In the next moment, they all heard something slam and they looked up to see Percy had thrown open his window and was leaning out.

"Will you keep it down?!" he yelled, glaring down at them.

"Sorry, Perce," Bill called back, "How's the cauldron bottoms coming?"

"Very badly," Percy said, disappearing back into his room.

Elizabeth shook her head, giggling as she watched Bill and Charlie repair the table and place both of them back on the ground. Elizabeth went forward and started heling the others set the table, and soon Mrs. Weasley came out with food.

Elizabeth sat between Harry and Hermione as they all settled down to eat. Even Percy was out of his room, settled next to his father and talking about—to no one's surprise—work.

"I mean, it's extremely busy in our department just now, what with the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just now getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman—"

"I like Ludo," Mr. Weasley said, "He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. I did him a bit of a favor: His brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble—a lawnmower with unnatural powers—I smoothed the whole thing over."

"Oh, Bagman's _likeable_ enough, of course. But how he ever got to be Head of Department...when I compare him to Mr. Crouch! I can't see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"

Elizabeth glanced up at that. She'd never actually met Bertha Jorkins, but she knew about her. She had been one of Grace's classmates at Hogwarts. Grace had said that Bertha was always the girl to go to for the latest gossip in the castle walls. She'd apparently liked the girl well enough at school. Elizabeth wondered if her mother knew about her old schoolmate's disappearance.

"Yes, I was asking Ludo about that," Mr. Weasley said, "He says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of times before now—though I must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried..."

"Oh Bertha's _hopeless_, all right. I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth...but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her."

'_Of course he should,'_ Elizabeth thought. She found herself planning to write her mother later to let her know what she'd heard, and ask if she knew about it.

"Mr. Crouch has been taking a personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her—but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She doubted anyone could end up that hopelessly lost.

"However," Percy went on, straightening himself up and raising his voice, as if wanting to make sure he was heard, "We've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup." Percy paused, looking down the table to where Elizabeth was sitting with her friends, "_You_ know the one I'm talking about, Father. The top-secret one."

Ron was the one to roll his eyes now and leaned towards the others.

"He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is since he started work," he whispered, "Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons."

"I doubt they'd keep that secret," Elizabeth said, thinking back to a few weeks ago, "It might be something bigger. My uncle-in-law, Xavier...There was a day I was over at Aunt Ginger's helping take care of Ursula, and Xavier came home all excited, talking about something he'd been asked to help on. Once he saw me, he got really quiet about it, though, and tried to pass it off as working at the Quidditch World Cup."

"What does he do?" Harry asked.

"He's an Obliviator," Elizabeth answered, taking a bite of her baked potato, "If it's all about the same thing, I don't think they'd need an Obliviator to deal with a cauldron exhibit."

"What do you think it is, though?" Hermione asked, "If an Obliviator is involved, it has to be something big..."

"What exactly is an Obliviator?" Harry looked to Elizabeth.

"They mainly work with magical accidents around Muggles," Elizabeth said, When something goes wrong, they come in and erase the Muggle's memory of what had happened. Mostly on big things that Muggles won't be able to explain away on their own, like when there's a dragon sighting or when some creature gets into a Muggle town. It's really difficult work."

They all chatted happily, and Elizabeth found herself glad to be around her friends again. Sure, there were others she couldn't wait to see. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott especially—both of them had helped her through her breakup with Tobias more than anyone. She was eager to be back at Hogwarts to see them and her other Hufflepuff friends.

But for now, she was really glad to be back with her closest friends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She'd been through a lot more with these three than anyone, and it was great to be around them again. She just hoped that this year at Hogwarts would be calmer than their last...


	5. Chapter Five

_**Chapter Five:**_

Elizabeth was usually an early riser, but she wasn't used to waking up before the sun. Thus, she wasn't at all happy to have Mrs. Weasley coming in and telling the girls to get up and get dressed.

It was a quiet event, broken only by yawns, as the girls got dressed. Elizabeth pushed on her glasses and pulled her hair into her ponytail, more from instinct from weeks around a baby who liked to grab hair. As she followed Ginny and Hermione on down the stairs, she pulled on a cardigan over her dress, yawning again.

As they got down to the kitchen, Elizabeth saw Harry and Ron were sitting at the table with Fred, George, and Mr. Weasley while Mrs. Weasley was at the stove.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny grumbled, sitting at the table. Elizabeth sat next to Harry while Hermione next to Ron.

"We've got a bit of a walk," Mr. Weasley said in response.

"Walk?" Harry asked, looking up from his breakfast, "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

"No, no, that's miles away. We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup—"

"George!"

"What?" George asked, looking up and trying to look innocent.

"What's that in your pocket?" Mrs. Weasley demanded, her gaze narrowing.

"Nothing!"

"Don't you lie to me!" Mrs. Weasley said, pulling out her wand, "_Accio_!"

Elizabeth watched as Mrs. Weasley summoned candies from various hiding places in Fred and George's clothes. Elizabeth wasn't quite sure how they were managing to stash it all unnoticed, but they somehow had.

"We spent months developing those!" Fred yelled as Mrs. Weasley dumped the candy in the trash.

"Oh a fine way to spend six months! No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"

Elizabeth shifted a bit uncomfortably, trying to pretend she hadn't just witnessed the family squabble as she finished her breakfast and grabbed her rucksack from upstairs. She scratched Cream behind the ears, saying she'd be back shortly, then headed on back downstairs with the others.

Elizabeth still felt as if she were intruding on a private moment as they headed out the door. Fred and George wouldn't even look at their mother, and Mrs. Weasley was stiff and cold as she was telling everyone goodbye.

"I'll send Bill, Charlie, and Percy along around midday," Mrs. Weasley said, kissing Mr. Weasley on the cheek.

As they started out towards their destination, Elizabeth could hear Mr. Weasley answering Harry's questions about wizarding world travel, and explaining how portkeys worked.

Elizabeth always thought it was a bit funny how curious Harry could be about some aspects of the wizarding world he was now a part of, but at the same time, completely ignore other aspects. He was always interested in things that Elizabeth took for day-to-day life, like travel and charmed household objects. Yet he didn't seem to care much about workings of things rarer and more fascinating, like Divination—one of Elizabeth's favorite subjects at Hogwarts. Even if the teacher was a bit mad.

They reached their destination, a tall, steep hill, and started to make their way up. It was a quiet processes, and by the time they all reached the top, everyone was out of breath. Elizabeth's chest was hurting and there was a knot in her side that didn't seem to want to loosen."

"Well, we've made good time," Mr. Weasley said, out of breath himself, "We've got ten minutes...Now we just need the portkey. It won't be big...Come on..."

Elizabeth stated scanning the top of the hill, looking for anything that could be a portkey—and it really could be anything. A discarded paper, a radio, an old cup...

"Over here, Arthur!" a familiar voice called from nearby, "Over here, son, Lewis, we've got it!"

Elizabeth looked over to see her brother with two others: Lewis's best friend, Cedric Diggory, and Cedric's father.

"Hey Liz," Lewis said with a grin.

"Hey," Elizabeth grinned back. She knew the Diggorys didn't live too far away, but it was nice to find out she'd get a chance to see Lewis and Cedric before the match started.

"Amos!" Mr. Weasley greeted Mr. Diggory, shaking his hand, and the others followed along.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," Mr. Weasley said, introducing him to his family, Harry, and Hermione, "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

"Hi," Cedric said, giving everyone a wave. Fred and George replied by giving short nods. Elizabeth wasn't sure if they were still annoyed over their mother, or if it was Hogwarts Quidditch rivalry.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory asked.

"Not too bad," Mr. Weasley replied, "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced?"

Elizabeth snorted, which resulted in a glare from her brother. She just grinned back. While she was quite the morning person, her brother was not. He considered being up before eleven to be up too early. Unless something was going on, he often went straight back to bed after eating breakfast. There were plenty of times when they had to stay at the St. Mungo's visitor room, where he'd sleep on one of the couches.

"I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still, not complaining...Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons—and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy...I know Elizabeth, but all the rest of these are yours?"

"No, only the redheads," Mr. Weasley said with a laugh, "This is Hermione, I'm sure you've heard about her from Elizabeth. And Harry—"

"Merlin's beard!" Mr. Diggory stepped forward, "Harry? Harry _Potter_?"

Elizabeth saw Harry shifting uncomfortably as Mr. Diggory's gaze went to his forehead. Elizabeth didn't like attention on her—it was one of the things she and Harry had in common. Unfortunately, Harry was quite famous, which made him staying out of the spotlight a bit harder.

"Ced's talked about you, of course," Mr. Diggory went on, "Told us all about playing against you last year...I said to him, I said—Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will..._You beat Harry Potter!_"

Cedric suddenly looked as uncomfortable as Harry did.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," Cedric said, "I told you...it was an accident..."

"But you still won Hufflepuff the match!" Lewis said, hitting his friend on the back, "Even the Gryffindor Captain said you won that match fairly. You got the Snitch _before_ Harry fell, after all."

Fred and George were glaring by this time, and Elizabeth bit her lip, glancing to Harry. He seemed completely at loss to what to say.

"Must be nearly time," Mr. Weasley said, obviously trying to defuse an argument before it started, "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," Mr. Diggory said, "There aren't any more of us in the area, are there?"

"Not that I know of," Mr. Weasley answered, "Yes, it's a minute off...We'd better get ready."

They all gathered around Mr. Diggory, who was holding out an old boot. It was a hard task, with so many people and such a small object. Elizabeth found herself somehow wedged between her brother and Cedric, while Lewis kept eyeing the Weasleys—especially Fred and George. Elizabeth knew they were in the same year, and apparently Lewis didn't like the way the twins were glaring at Cedric. Maybe he had some insane idea they'd try to prank Elizabeth because she was a Hufflepuff. Elizabeth thought Lewis was being stupid.

Fred and George were the type to prank someone who were acting like arses, not just for the heck of it. She'd seen them around their family. They rarely pranked Ron or Ginny—or Bill and Charlie now that they were around. Mostly, their target was Percy.

"All right," Mr. Weasley said, "Three...two...one..."

Elizabeth let out a breath, then felt the familiar hard jerk of being flung forward. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting, and in seconds, her feet hit solid ground again. She let out a gasp, straightening up and looking around at her new surroundings, where a pair of bored-looking men were waiting by a box of discarded items. Even as a witch, Elizabeth could see one of the men was very strangely dressed, wearing a kilt and some sort of oversized blanket around his chest. If that was the way Muggles dressed, Elizabeth was glad to be a witch. She preferred her skirts and sweaters.

"Morning, Basil," Mr. Weasley said, handing over the boot to the man in the kilt.

"Hello there, Arthur," Basil said with a sigh, "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some...We've been here all night...You'd better get out of the way, we've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five-fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite..."

Within a few minutes, they were walking off from the wizards, who were preparing to greet the next incoming group.

"We'll see you after the match, right?" Lewis asked as they started to get closer to a small house near the first field, where Elizabeth would be camping with the Weasleys and her friends. The Diggorys and Lewis were camping in a different area.

"Yeah, of course," Elizabeth said, grinning at her brother.

Lewis and Cedric left with Mr. Diggory, and Elizabeth followed the others over to where a man was by the house, looking over the tents scattered across the field. Though as they approached, the man turned towards them.

"Would you be Mr. Roberts?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Aye, I would," the man said with a nod, "And who're you?"

"Weasley—two tents, booked a couple of days ago?"

Mr. Roberts looked over his list nearby.

"You've got a space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"

"That's it."

"You'll be paying now, then?"

"Ah—right—certainly," Mr. Weasley said, stepping away and moving towards Harry. Elizabeth watched as Mr. Weasley began pulling out weird pieces of paper of different colors.

'_Is that Muggle money?'_ Elizabeth thought with interest. They covered Muggle currency pretty early on in her Muggle Studies class, but she'd never really been able to fully understand it. Why would Muggles use paper with pictures and numbers on it, each one worth different? Why not use galleons, sickles, and knuts? The price of them didn't change, and they all looked very different.

"You foreign?" Mr. Roberts asked, watching Mr. Weasley and Harry, "You're not the first one who's had trouble with money. I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."

'_What's a hubcap?'_ Elizabeth thought. Maybe it was something they'd cover soon in Muggle Studies. Or she could ask Harry or Hermione later.

"Never been this crowded," Mr. Roberts said, going through a tin box next to him, "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up..."

"Is that right?" Mr. Weasley asked nervously.

"Aye. People from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and a poncho. It's like some sort of...I dunno...like some sort of rally. They all know each other. Like a big party."

Before Mr. Roberts could do anything else, a man dressed as oddly as the ones before appeared, pointing a wand at Mr. Roberts and snapping "_Obliviate_."

Mr. Roberts' eyes glazed over and a blank look came over his face as he handed Mr. Weasley some odd paper.

"A map of the campsite for you," he said, "And your change."

"Thanks very much," Mr. Weasley said, turning towards the wizard who'd just appeared.

"Been having a lot of trouble with him," the Obliviator said, "Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping. Trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not a worry about anti-Muggle security Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over, Arthur."

With that, the man Disapparated, probably to check on other Muggles in charge of campsites. Elizabeth and the others turned, starting off down across the field towards their campsite.

"Mr. Bagman isn't exactly acting like a Head of Department going around breaking security laws like that," Elizabeth said slowly.

"Ludo's always been a bit...lax about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department, though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."

As they walked through the rows of tents, Elizabeth couldn't help but notice Harry was looking around in complete amazement, studying the tents they passed. Elizabeth didn't see what the big deal was. They were just tents. It was another time where Harry found the weirdest things fascinating.

Though Elizabeth did notice that some people seemed to be trying to outdo herself. Even though none if this should be awe-worthy, she did have to admit, one tent they passed that looked much more like a manor than a tent was a bit impressive.

"Couldn't have a better spot!" Mr. Weasley said as they reached a clearing right on the edge of the woods, "The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we're as close as we could be. Right..." Mr. Weasley paused, dropping the bag he was carrying, "No magic allowed, strictly speaking, not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult...Muggles do it all the time...Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"

Elizabeth, always a bit curious about Muggle ways, stayed close, watching as Harry and Hermione started with the tent. She even went over and asked to help, having them talk her through what all she was supposed to be doing. It was confusing, but also fun trying to figure out the various poles. At least Elizabeth would have a fun story to tell her Muggle Studies teacher when classes started back.

Soon enough, they had two identical tents set up. Elizabeth grinned, dusting off her hands. It was fun, but she didn't know how Muggles handled doing stuff like this all the time.

"We're staying in this one, right?" Elizabeth asked, pointing to one of the tents. With a conformation from Mr. Weasley, Elizabeth went in with Hermione and Ginny.

As usual with tents, it was more spacious than it appeared. There were a pair of bunks in the back, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. Elizabeth tossed her bag up onto one of the top bunks.

"This is pretty nice," Elizabeth said as Ginny and Hermione took bottom bunks.

"I take it there's an Extension Charm on the tent?" Hermione asked, looking around, "How else could there be this much space?"

"Elizabeth? Hermione?" Ron leaned in the entrance of the tent, "Dad wants us to go get some water. He's going to start a fire to cook lunch."

"Okay, coming," Elizabeth said, grabbing a saucepan from the kitchen nearby and heading out. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all waiting, Harry and Ron holding saucepans themselves while Hermione had a tea kettle.

Families were starting to wake up as the four passed through the grounds. There were children starting to play in front of tents—including a little boy who had gotten ahold of one of his parent's wands, and two girls flying around on toy brooms. Elizabeth couldn't help but think about how she'd had a toy broom before, and it'd been one of her favorite toys.

Harry, again, seemed completely fascinated by everything. And, again, Elizabeth found it strange—and a bit endearing. Elizabeth sometimes expected Hermione to react in the same wonder, then she remembered this was, well, _Hermione_. The girl who has probably read the entire Hogwarts library by now, and probably knew more about the wizarding world than most adults.

They made their way along the tents, soon reaching an area where every single tent was covered in green clovers.

"Seems like the Irish are showing their spirit," Elizabeth giggled, looking around. Ministry security must be loving this.

"Harry! Ron! Hermione!"

Elizabeth turned to see a pair of boys in front of one tent, whom she recognized as Gryffindors from their shared Herbology class. She thought their names were Finnigan and Thomas?

"Martin, right?" the dark-skinned one—Thomas—asked.

"Yeah, Elizabeth," Elizabeth answered with a nod as the other boy—Finnigan—looked to Harry.

"Like the decorations?" he asked, "The Ministry's not too happy.

"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?" asked a woman next to Finnigan, most likely his mother, "You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over _their_ tents." She gave the visitors stern looks. "You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?"

They all said they would, then headed on down between rows of tents again, curious about how the Bulgarians had decorated their camp.

It didn't take them long to find out. There was a sea of tents with Bulgarian flags, and each tent having an identical moving poster of the same tall, intimidating-looking man with a scowl.

"Victor Krum!" Elizabeth said, "To think we're actually going to see him play..."

"Who?" Hermione asked blankly. Elizabeth groaned. Hermione might know all seventeen uses for dragon blood of the top of her head, but she was completely clueless on things that actually mattered. Like Quidditch.

"The Bulgarian Seeker!" Ron said in a tone that showed he agreed, "He's unbelievable. He's really young too. Only just eighteen or something—"

"He's just turned seventeen," Elizabeth cut in, remembering an article she'd read in the latest edition of _Quidditch Today_, which was an article focusing on the Quidditch World Cup, "He's about to start his last year at Durmstrang."

"Durmstrang?" Harry asked.

"A wizarding school up north," Elizabeth said, "No one knows exactly where, they're really private about it."

They'd reached a water tap, which had a small line of witches and wizards waiting already. Including a man in a long, flowery outfit that looked more like a nightgown than anything, and a Ministry wizard who looked annoyed and was holding a pair of pants out to him.

"Just put them on, Archie, there's a good chap," the Ministry wizard said desperately, "You can't walk around like that, the Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious—"

"I bought this in a Muggle shop. Muggles wear them."

"Muggle _women_ wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear _these_," the Ministry wizard waved the pants he was holding.

"I'm not putting them on," Archie replied, crossing his arms over his chest, "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."

Hermione burst into a fit of giggles and disappeared from the group, but Elizabeth felt her face growing hot in embarrassment. Ron and Harry smirking at her only made her face feel even warmer.

Elizabeth was still blushing when the man was gone and they collected their water. Then there was the task of getting back to their camp without spilling any water. They were stopped occasionally along the way to greet people they knew—the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, who'd recently left Hogwarts. Ernie MacMillan, one of Elizabeth's fellow Hufflepuffs. And at one point, they passed Cho Chang—Cedric's Ravenclaw girlfriend. When she waved, Harry seemed too enthusiastic to wave back, sloshing water down his shirt. Elizabeth huffed in annoyance.

"She has a boyfriend, you know," she said sharply.

"What?" Harry asked, not seeming to really hear as he was glancing back to Cho. Elizabeth frowned, feeling a flash of annoyance, which she tried to ignore. Cho wasn't going to leave Cedric anyway, so what was the point in arguing it with Harry?

"You've been gone ages," George said the second the four returned to camp with the water.

"Met a few people," Ron said, "You've not got that fire started yet?"

"Dad's having fun with the matches."

Elizabeth looked over to where Mr. Weasley was sitting at a pile of wood, several thin, short broken sticks scattered around him. Hermione went over to help and soon they had a nice fire going. Mr. Weasley kept pointing out people he knew from work as they got sausages cooking over the fire, and Elizabeth sat herself between Harry and Ron, enjoying a chance to sit and relax for a bit.

They'd just gotten the food done when Percy, Bill, and Charlie arrived. They had gotten a chance to sleep in since they were old enough to Apparate. Elizabeth couldn't help but be a bit jealous. She was still two years away before she could start learning.

It wasn't a usual lunch, but Elizabeth had to admit, the sausage and eggs were pretty good. Maybe it was because she was so hungry after their long morning. Or maybe it was just something different about food cooked on an open fire. But there was just something that tasted different about it.

They were just finishing when Mr. Weasley waved down a man Elizabeth recognized instantly from Quidditch magazines and sports posters: Ludo Bagman, famous former Beater. He was even wearing his old yellow-and-black Wasp robes, even if they were a bit tight on him now. He was still a pleasant looking man, with blond hair and blue eyes and a bright, friendly smile.

"Arthur, old man, what a day, eh?" Mr. Bagman said brightly, "What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming...hardly a hiccough in the arrangements...Not much for me to do!"

Elizabeth begged to differ, as she watched two obviously exhausted Ministry workers deal with a wizarding family whose fire was giving off purple sparks.

At the same time, Percy had quickly gotten to his feet and hurried forward, his hand out. Mr. Weasley noticed and stood as well.

"This is my son, Percy," Mr. Weasley said in introduction, then went through introducing all the rest of them around the fire. Bagman's eyes instantly went to Harry's forehead and Elizabeth felt a bit of annoyance. She got a bit tired of the attention Harry got all the time, to be honest.

"Everyone, this is Ludo Bagman, you know who he is," Mr. Weasley said, turning back to the others, "It's thanks to him we've got such good tickets."

"Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" Bagman asked, holding up a piece of parchment and a bag of coins he had with him, "I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first—I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years—and little Agatha Timms has put up half her shares in her eel farm on a week-long match."

"Oh...go on then. Let's see...A galleon on Ireland to win?"

Elizabeth watched as Bagman reluctantly took the small bet, then eagerly took a much larger one that Fred and George made—on that Ireland would win, but Bulgaria would catch the Snitch. Elizabeth thought they were wasting their money.

They were also greeted by Mr. Crouch during their lunch. It was instantly clear to see why Percy idolized this man. He was a perfect example of what a head of Ministry office should be. Stiff, stern, and rule-abiding.

"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" Bagman asked after a round of introductions.

"Fairly," Mr. Crouch replied, "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo."

"I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?" Mr. Weasley asked, which Bagman laughed.

"Glad? Don't know when I've had more fun! Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?"

"We agreed not to make the announcement until all the details—"

"Oh, details! They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts—"

"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," Mr. Crouch cut in.

Elizabeth looked over at her friends as Bagman and Mr. Crouch left. What was happening at Hogwarts? Did this have anything to do with what her uncle-in-law had been so excited over weeks ago? Whatever it was, Elizabeth couldn't wait to find out.


	6. Chapter Six

_**Chapter Six:**_

As the day wore on, Elizabeth started getting a knotting feeling in her stomach. One she really didn't like.

'_It's just excitement for the match,'_ Elizabeth told herself in desperate denial, _'Nothing is going to happen today.'_

It was dark now. The twisting in Elizabeth's stomach was in high alert now as she followed along with the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione up the carpeted stairs to the Top Box. She was carrying a game program in one hand, and a pair of omnioculars Harry had bought her in the other. She'd bought herself a hat with a shamrock on it, same as Ron had.

"Trust me, Harry, this isn't going to be anything like a Hogwarts match," Elizabeth said in a way to distract herself from the sinking feeling in her stomach, "These are professionals. It's going to be amazing."

They'd reached the Top Box, which seated around twenty people. They were lucky enough to be there first, so they immediately took the line of front-row seats.

The Top Box was definitely the best seats. They were on the edge of the field, exactly hallway between the two set of goalposts. It was raised higher than the other seats, which were now being filled with thousands of fans eager for the upcoming match. The blackboard across from them was currently hosting ads rather than the score, but Elizabeth knew that would change soon enough.

"Hopefully the match starts soon," Elizabeth said, looking down at her program.

"_Dobby_?"

Elizabeth jerked at Harry's voice, turning to him to see he was staring at someone behind them.

"Did sir just call me Dobby?"

Elizabeth spun fully now. The seats behind them were mostly empty, except for one at the end where a small house elf sat. Elizabeth had never actually seen a house elf before. She knew there were hundreds working at Hogwarts, but they always kept out of sight. House elves, it turned out, were small creatures with short legs and arms, but oversized ears like that of a bat. This one was wearing a tea towel, as house elves weren't allowed clothes. She was staring at them with oversized, watery eyes.

"Sorry," Harry said, "I just thought you were someone I knew."

'_So she's not Dobby,' _Elizabeth thought. She should have realized. Dobby was a guy, after all, and from what she heard, the females had the higher voices like this one had.

"But I know Dobby too, sir!" the little house elf said, staring at them through long fingers, "My name is Winky, sir—and you, sir...You is surely Harry Potter!"

Elizabeth frowned. Sometimes she really wished Harry wasn't the center of attention. Everywhere they went, people knew who he was. It got tiring.

"Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!"

"How is he?" Harry asked, leaning against the back of his chair, "how's freedom suiting him?"

"Ah, sir...Meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you set him free. Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir. Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"_He is wanting paying or his work, sir_," Winky said in a horrified whisper.

"Paying?" Harry echoed, "Well, why shouldn't he be paid?"

"Because house elves aren't paid, it's just how it is," Elizabeth answered for Winky, who looked even more horrified.

The four turned back around to the front and Elizabeth continued.

"House elves are usually very happy in their jobs. They don't want payment or anything like that."

"Because they don't know any better," Hermione hissed. Elizabeth decided not to respond. They were here to enjoy a game, after all. Hermione, apparently to distract herself, went to her program.

"'A display from the team mascots will precede the match,'" she read slowly.

"Oh, that's always worth watching," Mr. Weasley said cheerfully, "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

The seats in the Top Box were beginning to fill. Mr. Weasley kept greeting them as they came, and Elizabeth wasn't at all surprised to find the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was one of the people who came up. And, much to Elizabeth's annoyance, the Malfoys were there.

"Ah, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy said, coming over towards the Minister of Magic, "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"

Draco Malfoy was one of the most annoying students at Hogwarts. A Slytherin, he always seemed to make it his life goal to act high and mighty over everyone or cause everyone as much trouble as he could. From what she knew, his parents were pretty much adult versions of him.

Maybe Elizabeth could just ignore them. Enjoy the match and pretend they weren't there.

"Good lord, Arthur, what did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box?" Mr. Malfoy asked, once he realized Mr. Weasley was there and looking over the group, "Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

'_So much for ignoring him,'_ Elizabeth thought bitterly.

"Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur," Mr. Fudge said, "He's here as my guest."

'_Of course he is,'_ Elizabeth thought. She knew the Malfoys didn't care about anything but themselves. An act of 'charity' was just to get them something they wanted. Knowing Draco Malfoy, he probably thought going to the Quidditch World Cup and being in the Top Box was another way to be 'better' than everyone else. Something he could hold over everyone at Hogwarts once school started back. It was probably really getting under his skin that the Weasleys and Harry were there.

That, at least, made Elizabeth grin.

"Slimy gits," Ron muttered once the Malfoys took their seats. Elizabeth couldn't agree more.

The match was about to begin, however, so they didn't have much more time to dwell on the Malfoys. Even the sickening feeling twisting in Elizabeth's stomach was being forgotten as Ludo Bagman stood and announced the welcome of the team mascots from the Bulgarian team.

"I wonder what they've brought," Mr. Weasley said, then his face lit up, "Veela!"

Elizabeth groaned. She'd heard about veela. They seemed like women, but they were creatures that trapped men and could turn fierce if even slightly provoked. Why would the Bulgarians bring them along?

The group of women were dancing on the field now, and Mr. Weasley wasn't the only one on his feet. Bill, Percy, and Charlie had covered their ears, but Harry and Ron weren't as lucky.

Both the boys were on their feet, and starting as if they were going to launch themselves over the railing of the Top Box.

"Harry! Ron!" Elizabeth hissed, grabbing Harry by the back of his shirt as Hermione grabbed Ron and both girls pulled them back as the veela stopped dancing.

Harry and Ron were yelling in protest now as the veela were leaving. Elizabeth glared at her friends making fools of themselves. She really hated veela.

"And now, kindly put your wands in the air..." Bagman called, his voice magically amplified, "For the Irish National Team Mascots!"

The Irish were a lot more flashy in their display. Lights of green and gold rushed around the stadium and it didn't take Elizabeth long to realize they were made up of leprechauns. Especially once they started forming a giant shamrock, looping the stadium and showering the stands in gold galleons.

The teams were introduced one by one, and Elizabeth screamed and cheered with everyone. The match was getting closer and closer...

"Theeeey're OFF!" Bagman called, and the match began.

Quidditch on a professional level was one of Elizabeth's favorite things. Hogwarts matches were fun, but they were nothing compared to the speed and skill of those who have been playing professionally for years, sometimes decades.

Elizabeth kept her omnioculars up, trying to follow the Quaffle the best she could. It wasn't long before her neck was hurting, constantly jerking back and forth to follow the passes.

"TROY SCORES!" Bagman screamed ten minutes later.

Elizabeth was cheering, her voice lost in the roaring of Irish supporters. Ten minutes into the match and Ireland was already in the lead!

It didn't take long before they were pulling even further in the lead. Twenty points. Thirty points...Then twenty again as Bulgaria made their first score...

Victor Krum suddenly went into a dive, and right after him was Lynch, the Irish Seeker.

"Have they seen the Snitch?" Elizabeth asked, letting the omnioculars fall around her neck as she leaned against the railing.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione's voice was shrill.

Elizabeth was leaning over the railing, gripping tightly as she saw Krum suddenly pull from the dive. Lynch wasn't as lucky, as he went crashing into the ground. Elizabeth screamed, clamping her hands over her mouth.

"It's time-out as trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch!" Bagman called.

"It looks like he's okay," Elizabeth said with a sigh of relief. The Seeker was sitting up as the mediwizards treated his face. In minutes, Lynch was on his broom and in the air again.

The game was fast. In mere minutes, Ireland was up by a hundred and twenty points. Elizabeth was fixated on the match in front of her. Ireland kept pulling further and further ahead. Bludgers were flying back and forth, the players on both side narrowly dodging each time...

Except once, Krum hadn't been fast enough. A flying Bludger hit him in the face and nearly knocked him from the broom.

Elizabeth winced as the crowd groaned around them. The referee hadn't noticed yet—mainly because he was trying to put out the fire that a veela had set to his broom.

"Time-out!" Ron was screaming, "Ah, come on, Krum can't play like that, look at him—"

"_Look at Lynch!_" Harry called, pointing towards one end of the field.

Elizabeth grabbed her omnioculars, immediately zooming towards where the Irish Seeker had gone into a dive.

"He's seen the Snitch!" Harry called over the crowd, "He's seen it! Look at him go!"

The crowd was screaming and shouting now. Elizabeth was on her feet, staring through the omnioculars. Lynch was stretching out his hand as he dove. And in seconds, Krum was on his tail. Level with him...Starting to pass him...

Again, Krum pulled from the dive, and Lynch went crashing into the ground. Elizabeth winced, immediately looking to Krum, who was holding something in his hand.

"He's got it!" Harry shouted, "Krum's got it! It's all over!"

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman screamed, "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH—BUT IRELAND WINS!"

The scoreboard told the same result.

Bulgaria: 160, Ireland: 170.

Ireland had won by ten points. And the match was only that close because Krum had gotten the one-hundred-fifty points from catching the Snitch.

"He knew they were never going to catch up," Harry was shouting next to Elizabeth, "The Irish Chasers were too good...He wanted to end it on his terms."

"He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione called, staring down to the field, "He looks a terrible mess..."

Elizabeth was caught up in the screaming and cheering, but she was worried about Krum. Still, they had mediwizards on the field. Krum would be fine in minutes.

"And as the Irish team performs a lap of honor," Bagman called as the Irish team took flight with the leprechauns, "Flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!"

Elizabeth winced as the Top Box was lit up and she shaded her eyes, squinting. She turned from the light, which was hurting her eyes, and saw a pair of wizards bringing in the large, gold trophy.

"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers—Bulgaria!"

Elizabeth watched the Bulgarian team march in and her eyes widened. She'd been to professional matches, but was never able to get close to teams. Now here she was, just mere feet away from the Bulgarian team...And Viktor Krum.

He looked a lot more intimidating in person. Or maybe that was because of the blood on his face and the black eyes that were starting to form. Still, Elizabeth couldn't help but stare.

It only continued when the Irish team came up, introduced to the crowds and hoisted the Quidditch World Cup up between them.

Elizabeth had never screamed and clapped as much as she had in the past few hours. This match was one she wasn't going to forget anytime soon. The infectious mood lasted even as they went through the crowd back to their tents, where they enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate and a good debate on what were the best moves of the game. At least until Ginny n early fell asleep and spilled her hot chocolate over the floor.

With that, Elizabeth, Hermione, and Ginny left for their own tent one over and changed into their pajamas before Elizabeth pulled herself onto the top bunk. Now that the excitement was settling, and she lay on her back, staring at the colors reflecting on the canvas of people celebrating...An unsettling feeling was coming over her.

'_No, nothing is going to happen,'_ Elizabeth thought, rolling onto her side and pulling covers over her head. Though even as she drifted to sleep, that unsettling feeling kept tugging at the back of her mind...


	7. Chapter Seven

_**Chapter Seven:**_

"Girls, girls get up now."

Elizabeth jerked awake instantly, and knew something was wrong. The sickening dread was stronger than ever now. As she pushed on her glasses and looked over the edge of the bunk, she saw Mr. Weasley shaking Ginny awake on one of the lower bunks.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Elizabeth asked, coming down the ladder of the bunk bed.

"Just get your coats and come, now," Mr. Weasley said, shaking Hermione awake now.

Elizabeth grabbed her cardigan, giving Hermione and Ginny confused looks as they headed out into the night air.

Instantly, Elizabeth stumbled to a stop, her cardigan hanging loose in her hand and her eyes widening. Tents were on fire around them. People were screaming and running. A group of men in black cloaks and masks were making their way through the grounds, wands up. Above them, four figures—two adults and two children—were held suspended and conscious, considering the woman kept trying to keep herself covered whenever she was turned upside down.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley yelled, catching Elizabeth's attention and she turned to him, "You lot—get into the woods and _stick together_. I'll come fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

Mr. Weasley took off with Bill, Charlie, and Percy, while Fred, George, and Ginny took off for the woods. Elizabeth, however, grabbed Harry's arm, a sickening thought coming to her mind.

"Lewis!" she said in panic, "Lewis...He's out there somewhere!"

"He'll be fine," Ron responded for Harry, "Come on, we have to get going before those guys come this way."

Elizabeth hesitated, looking over her shoulder at the chaos around them, her heart pounding. People were running, screaming, trying to get out of the way, pushing past each other...Where was her brother?

"Come on, Ron's right," Harry said, "Lewis will be okay."

Elizabeth nodded a little, pulling on her cardigan and following her friends into the woods. All Elizabeth could do was tell herself that Lewis was somewhere in these woods, safe and sound himself...

They could hear screaming in the dark...Children crying out for their parents...There were people shouting, calling for friends and family members...

Running in the dark just seemed to heighten Elizabeth's panic. She'd never been comfortable in tight places or feeling trapped. When she couldn't see where she was going, had to rely on instinct and the faint outline of her friends, was constantly being jarred back and forth by unknown people...It just made things worse. Her heart was racing, her mind was screaming at her to keep running...

Ron let out a yell and Elizabeth stumbled to a stop, looking around though she couldn't see anything in the dark besides vague outlines.

"What happened?" Hermione's voice was high, "Ron, where are you? Oh this is stupid—_lumos_!"

Elizabeth blinked as the dim light lit their area. She quickly pulled out her wand and did the same, adding to the light as she looked around. Ron was nearby, pushing himself to his feet.

"Tripped over a tree root," he grumbled.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to."

Elizabeth spun around, raising her wand. Instantly, she glared as she noticed Draco Malfoy nearby. For all the panic around them, Malfoy seemed far too calm. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the horror happening around them.

"Hadn't you better be hurrying along now?" Malfoy smirked at them, then nodding to Hermione. "You wouldn't like _her_ spotted, would you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked sharply.

"Granger, they're after _Muggles_. D'you want to be showing your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around...they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."

"Hermione's more a witch than you'll ever be as a wizard," Elizabeth snapped.

"Keep deluding yourself, Martin," Malfoy said with a shrug, "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

"You watch your mouth!" Ron yelled, starting forward but Hermione grabbed him and pulled him back. Elizabeth was with Ron, though. 'Mudblood' was one of the worst slurs one could throw at someone who was Muggleborn like Hermione.

A loud bang echoed through the woods and Elizabeth jumped with a small squeal, which caused Malfoy to laugh. Elizabeth felt her face grow hot as she glared.

"Scare easily, don't you?" he said, then to Ron, "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to—trying to rescue the Muggles?"

"Where're your parents?" Harry hissed, "Out there wearing those masks, are they?"

"Well...if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"

"I'll take that as a yes," Elizabeth snapped.

"Oh come on," Hermione said, tugging at Ron's jacket, "Let's go find the others."

"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger!" Malfoy called after them. Elizabeth gripped her wand tightly.

"Oh, I hope the Ministry finds his parents among that lot out there," Elizabeth hissed.

"Where have the others got to?" Hermione asked, raising her wand and looking around. Fred, George, and Ginny were nowhere in sight.

"Maybe we'll come across them," Elizabeth said, glancing around.

They were far enough into the woods now that the panic was starting to subside a little. They passed a group of French teenagers, whom Elizabeth guessed were from Beauxbatons. They tried to ask them something, but the teens were speaking in French, so Elizabeth and her friends couldn't understand them.

"Fred and George can't have gone that far," Ron said, lighting his own wand now as he looked around. Elizabeth raised her own.

The sickening dread was still churning in her stomach. As she looked around, she couldn't help but wish she could find any sign of her brother...Were Lewis and Cedric okay? Where were they?

"Oh no, I don't believe it...I've lost my wand!"

"What?" Elizabeth spun to Harry, who was patting at his coat pockets frantically.

Elizabeth, Hermione, and Ron all scanned the ground around them for any sign of a wand. However, in the dark, and in the middle of the woods, a single thin piece of wood would definitely be hard to find...

"Maybe it's back in the tent," Ron said hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe..." Harry said slowly.

They heard a noise that made all of them jerk and spin around. Nearby, little Winky was stumbling through the bushes, twitching and falling as if she were dragging something behind her. She kept muttering to herself as she disappeared into the darkness again.

"What's up with her?" Ron asked, "Why can't she run properly?"

"Bet she didn't ask permission to hide," Harry said.

"You know, house elves get a very raw deal!" Hermione snapped, "It's slavery, that's what it is! Bewitched so she can't even run when they start trampling tents! Why doesn't anyone _do_ something about it?"

"Because house elves are _happy_ in what they do," Elizabeth said, "They love serving others."

"It's people like _you_ who prop up rotten and unjust systems," Hermione hissed, "Just because they're too lazy to—"

Another loud bang echoed through the woods. Elizabeth yelped and looked towards the campgrounds. Maybe they weren't as safe as they thought...

"Let's keep moving, shall we?" Ron suggested, glancing to Hermione. Hermione was the Muggleborn among them...She could be in a lot of trouble if those men in masks came this way...

As they walked, Elizabeth kept looking for any sign of her brother. She wanted to make sure he was okay...Where was he?

They were just passing a group of veela—with whom several men were making fools of themselves—when Elizabeth got her answer. They had to drag Ron away, starting to get deeper into the woods where things were getting quieter.

"Elizabeth! There you are!"

"Lewis!" Elizabeth cried in relief at the sight of her brother, rushing forward and hugging him. When she pulled back, she suddenly realized he was alone.

"Where's Cedric?" she asked.

"I'm here," Cedric said, appearing between the trees nearby, "Lost sight of you there for a second, Lewis."

"Sorry," Lewis said, "I just saw Liz and ran off."

They found a small clearing, where it was quiet and still, so they all sat down on the dry ground. Elizabeth stayed close to her brother and Cedric.

"I hope the others are okay," Hermione said quietly, looking off into the woods in her pale wandlight.

"I'm sure they're fine," Cedric said, "I bet the Ministry has already caught those men in hoods and have rescued the Muggles."

"Those guys have to be mental," Lewis shook his head, "I mean, Ministry is everywhere, and they do this? Parade around attacking Muggles?"

"Maybe they were drunk," Elizabeth said, then jumped as a twig snapped nearby.

Everyone fell silent, looking around. Lewis and Cedric slowly rose to their feet, wands out.

"Who's there?" Lewis called.

There was silence. Elizabeth had a sick feeling forming in her stomach...

"_MORSMORDE_!"

The woods were lit by a green glow as something shot into the sky. Elizabeth looked up, confusion washing over her as she saw what looked like a giant green skull with a snake for a tongue appeared in the sky over them.

Lewis swore loudly. Cedric stared above them, a look of fear on his face. Hermione's face had gone white. The woods around them filled with screams.

"Come on, guys, we have to move," Lewis said, taking Elizabeth by the arm and pulling her up.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked and Elizabeth was just as confused. Why was everyone reacting like this over a skull in the sky?

"It's the Dark Mark!" Hermione said, her voice high, "You-Know-Who's sign!"

Elizabeth felt sick, letting her brother start to push her to the edge of the clearing. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. His sign in the air...This wasn't good.

They'd barely reached the edge of the clearing, however, when at least twenty wizards Apparated around them, each with their wands raised.

"DUCK!"

Elizabeth felt herself thrown to the ground, her brother leaning over her, as twenty wizards shot stunning spells. Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, hearing branches snapping and spells hitting trees...

"Stop! STOP! _That's my son!_"

Elizabeth glanced up. Mr. Weasley was rushing over to them. And, in the next second, she recognized another face among the crowd. As did Cedric.

"Dad?" Cedric called, getting to his feet as Lewis helped Elizabeth up.

"Cedric?" Mr. Diggory looked stunned, looking from his son to the sky and back down again, "What...What're you doing out here?"

They didn't have a chance to answer. Mr. Crouch had shown up then, pushing through the other witches and wizards. He stopped short in front of the group, studying them closely.

"Which of you did it?" he asked coolly, "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"None of us," Cedric said, stepping forward, pointing off to where they'd heard the voice before, "We...We heard someone over there, shouting something. There was a light, and then the mark was in the sky."

Twenty wands turned towards the trees nearby.

"We're too late," a witch said nearby, "They'll have Disapparated."

"I don't think so," Mr. Diggory said slowly, "Our Stunners went right through those trees...There's a good chance we got them..."

"Be careful, Dad," Cedric said, watching as Mr. Diggory disappeared into the trees.

Elizabeth stood still, watching. As glad as she was having her friends around, she was also glad she had her brother next to her. She'd been so worried where he was, and knowing now that he was okay...

"Yes! We got them!" Mr. Diggory called, "There's someone here! Unconscious! It's—but—blimey..."

"You got someone?" Mr. Crouch called back, "Who? Who is it?"

Mr. Diggory came back out of the woods and Elizabeth's eyes widened. He was carrying little Winky. Slowly, Elizabeth glanced to Mr. Crouch. The man seemed frozen, his eyes locked on the house elf that was put at his feet.

Mr. Crouch hurried off into the trees where Mr. Diggory just came from.

"No point, Barty," Mr. Diggory called, "There's no one else there." He sighed, looking at the others. "Bit embarrassing. Barty Crouch's house elf...I mean to say..."

'_So Mr. Crouch owns Winky?'_ Elizabeth thought. No wonder he reacted the way he did...

"Come off it, Amos," Mr. Weasley said, "You don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard sign. It requires a wand."

"Yeah, and she _had_ a wand."

"_What_?"

"Here, look," Mr. Diggory said, holding out a wand he'd been carrying, "Had it in her had. So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, for start. _No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand._"

Mr. Crouch reemerged from the trees at the same time as Ludo Bagman appeared with a loud pop, staring up at the sky with wide eyes.

"The Dark Mark!" Bagman croaked, "Who did it? Did you get them?" He looked around wildly and saw Mr. Crouch. "Barty! What's going on? Where have you been, Barty? Why weren't you at the match? Your elf was saving you a seat too—" He noticed Winky unconscious at his feet and jumped back. "Gulping gargoyles! What happened to _her_?"

"I have been busy, Ludo," Mr. Crouch said, his face pale and he seemed on edge, "And my elf has been stunned."

Bagman looked horrified, looking back and forth between Winky and the sky as he started to realize. Mr. Diggory moved over to Winky, however, kneeling in front of her and pointing his own wand to her.

"_Rennervate_," he said simply.

Elizabeth watched as Winky slowly stirred, sitting up and blinking several times. She looked around, realizing how many wizards were around, then began shaking. She noticed Mr. Crouch, her eyes widening even more. Then, she seemed to realize she should look up. The second she saw the Dark Mark above, Winky broke out into sobs.

Elizabeth couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Elf," Mr. Diggory said sharply, "Do you know who I am? I am a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago. And you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"

"I—" Winky started shakily, her face hidden in her hands, "I is not doing it, sir! I is not knowing how, sir!"

"You were found with a wand in your hand!" Mr. Diggory said, waving the wand he'd found earlier.

"Hey, that's mine!" Harry said suddenly, stepping forward. Mr. Diggory looked up in shock.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Diggory asked.

"That's my wand! I dropped it!"

"You dropped it? Is that a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"

"Harry didn't do anything!" Elizabeth said sharply.

"He was with us, Dad," Cedric added, "He didn't conjure that!"

"Amos, think who you're talking to!" Mr. Weasley said, his voice rising slightly, "Is _Harry Potter_ likely to conjure the Dark Mark?"

"Er—of course not..." Mr. Diggory said slowly.

"I didn't drop it there, anyway," Harry said, motioning to the woods nearby, "I missed it right after we got into the wood."

"So, you found this wand, eh, elf?" Mr. Diggory turned back to Winky, "And you picked it up and thought you'd have some fun with it, did you?"

"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" Winky's voice was high, broken between sobs, "I is...I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!"

"It wasn't her!" Hermione spoke up, her voice shaking just slightly though she had a determined look on her face, "Winky's got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" Hermione spun to the others. "It didn't sound like Winky, did it?"

"Hermione's right," Lewis said, "I'm sure we heard a man."

"Same here," Cedric added. Elizabeth, Harry, and Ron all nodded in agreement.

"Well, we'll soon see," Mr. Diggory said, studying the group before looking back to Winky, "There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?"

Elizabeth watched, feeling a little confused. She'd seen known Mr. Diggory for years. At least, from a distance as 'her brother's friend's father'. But she'd never seen him working. She guessed Mr. Diggory did have to be a lot more stern when he was at work then when at home.

Mr. Diggory used a quick spell, one that let the last spell from a wand be visible. Elizabeth tensed a little as she saw a ghost of an image of the mark in the sky came from the tip of Harry's wand. To think Harry's wand, her friend's wand, was used to conjure something so terrifying...

"I is not doing it!" Winky squeaked, her entire body trembling, "I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! I is a good elf, I isn't using wands, I isn't knowing how!"

"_You've been caught red-handed, elf! Caught with the guilty wand in your hand!_"

"Amos!" Mr. Weasley stepped forward, "Think about it! Precious few wizards know how to do that spell. Where would she have learned it?"

"Perhaps Amos is suggesting that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?" Mr. Crouch asked coldly.

Cedric tensed next to Lewis, his gaze narrowing a little. He obviously didn't like how his father was being treated.

"Not...Not at all..." Mr. Diggory said slowly, not looking at Mr. Crouch.

"You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are least likely to conjure the Mark!" Mr. Crouch snapped, "Harry Potter—and myself! I suppose you are familiar with the boy's story, Amos?"

"Of course...everyone knows—"

"And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given, over a long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?"

"Mr. Crouch, I—I never suggested you had anything to do with it!"

Cedric fidgeted more. Elizabeth couldn't blame him for feeling uncomfortable. After all, his father was being belittled in front of him and he couldn't dare interfere. Not with someone like Mr. Crouch.

"She might have picked up the wand anywhere," Mr. Weasley said, turning to Winky, "Winky? Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"

"I—I is finding it..." Winky started slowly, staring at the others between her fingers, "Finding it there, sir...There...In the trees, sir..."

"You see, Amos?" Mr. Weasley turned to Mr. Diggory, "Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, leaving Harry's wand behind. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up."

"Amos, I am fully aware that, in the ordinary course of events, you would want to take Winky into your department for questioning," Mr. Crouch said, "I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her."

Mr. Diggory frowned. It was clear he didn't want to do any such thing, but he wasn't about to cross Mr. Crouch again.

"You may rest assured that she will be punished," Mr. Crouch said simply.

Winky didn't like that idea at all. She stared up at Mr. Crouch, her huge eyes filling with tears.

"Winky has behaved tonight in a manner I would not have believed possible," Mr. Crouch went on, "I told her to remain in the tent. I told her to stay there while I went to sort out the trouble. And I find that she disobeyed me. _This means clothes_."

"No! No, master!" Winky begged, falling on her face in front of Mr. Crouch, her voice shrill and begging, "Not clothes!"

Elizabeth winced a little. Presenting a house elf with clothes would set that house elf free of their services to their family. It also meant that elf would most likely never find a job anywhere else. After all, a free elf was an elf who was disrespectful to the family they should be serving.

"But she was frightened!" Hermione cried, stepping forward, "Those wizards in masks were levitating people! You can't blame her for wanting to get out of their way!"

Mr. Crouch seemed to ignore Hermione, stepping away from Winky and looking over at Hermione.

"I have no use for a house elf who disobeys me," he said simply, his voice hard and cold, "I have no use for a servant who forgets what is due to her master, and to her master's reputation."

The clearing fell silent, aside from Winky's sobbing. Elizabeth fidgeted a little, looking around at her friends and her brother next to her.

"Well..." Mr. Weasley said slowly, "I think I'll take my lot back to the tent, if nobody's got any objections. Amos, that wand's told us all it can—if harry can have it back, please."

"But..." Elizabeth looked up at her brother, who grinned at her.

"I'll be fine with Cedric and Mr. Diggory, don't worry," he said, "You go get some sleep. We'll see each other on the train to school, okay?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly, heading off with Mr. Weasley, Ron, Hermione, and Harry, who was pocketing his wand now that he had it back. She was exhausted now. All she wanted to do was curl back up in bed and go back to sleep. Though, even as she glanced over her shoulder at the ugly symbol in the sky, she had a feeling sleep wasn't going to come easy after all that had happened.


	8. Chapter Eight

_**Chapter Eight:**_

They were up before the sun the next morning. Elizabeth was fine with this. She hadn't really slept much the night before anyway. She was quick to get things packed away, and Mr. Weasley used magic to take down the tents. He wasn't the only one. It seemed everyone was abandoning the concept of pretending to be Muggle, as everyone wanted to get home.

Elizabeth didn't get a chance to see her brother or the Diggorys before the left, but she knew she'd see them on the Hogwarts Express in a few days.

They were met with crowds wishing to leave by the time they reached the portkeys. They were lucky, however, and were able to get one to take them back to the hill near Ottery St. Catchpole just after sunrise. Elizabeth was tired, thinking of the night before, of the dread she'd had but tried to ignore...

As they got closer to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley was waiting for them in the yard. The second she saw them approaching, she ran forward and threw her arms around Mr. Weasley. Elizabeth noticed a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ fall from her hand and land on the ground, the front page holding a picture of the Dark Mark over the woods and the headline: _SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP_.

"I've been so worried!" Mrs. Weasley cried, pulling back, then immediately hugging Fred and George, "Oh _boys_..."

Elizabeth glanced at the others. Wasn't Mrs. Weasley angry with them just the day before?

"Mum—you're strangling us—"

"I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley cried, "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh Fred...George..."

"Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay," Mr. Weasley said, pulling her away from the twins, turning her towards the house and whispering to Bill to get the paper Mrs. Weasley had dropped.

Everyone made their way inside, and Elizabeth made a point to sit on the stairs nearby instead of in the kitchen. With everyone grouped together, the tiny kitchen was cramped and crowded. Elizabeth felt too closed in, especially after the night before, and the tiny kitchen made it worse.

Hermione helped Mrs. Weasley to a seat and a strong cup of tea while Mr. Weasley took the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and skimmed over it. Elizabeth watched him, frowning. Had her mother read the paper yet? Or her aunt? Xavier had been working at the World Cup...She was sure they had to be worried...She needed to write a letter as soon as possible to let her mother know she was okay.

"I knew it," Mr. Weasley said suddenly, "_Ministry blunders...culprits not apprehended...lax security...Dark wizards running unchecked...national disgrace..._Who wrote this? Ah...of course. Rita Skeeter."

Elizabeth sighed. Rita Skeeter was nothing more than a glorified gossip columnist who liked to pretend she was a real journalist. Somehow, though, she managed to get a lot of readers and followers. Elizabeth didn't understand it.

"That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic!" Percy said angrily, "Last week she was saying we're wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness, when we should be stamping out vampires! As if it wasn't _specifically_ stated in paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans—"

"Do us a favor, Perce," Bill cut in, "And shut up."

'_Couldn't agree more,'_ Elizabeth thought. It was really annoying her how Percy was turning anything into a subject about himself and the Ministry.

"I'm mentioned!" Mr. Weasley said, straightening up a bit in his chair, his glasses slipping down his face some.

"Where?" Mrs. Weasley choked on her tea, the cup slipping from her hand, "If I'd seen that, I'd have known you were alive!"

"Not by name," Mr. Weasley said, "Listen to this: _'If the terrified wizards and witches who waited breathlessly for news at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. A Ministry official emerged some time after the appearance of the Dark Mark alleging that nobody had been hurt, but refused to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen.'_ Oh really."

"But nobody _did_ get hurt," Elizabeth said, "You were doing the right thing reassuring everyone when we came out of the wood."

"Thank you, Elizabeth," Mr. Weasley said as he got up, "But I'm going to have to go into the office; this is going to take some smoothing over."

"I'll come with you, Father," Percy hurried to his feet, "Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck. And I can give him my cauldron report in person."

Elizabeth glared as Percy pushed past her without so much as an 'excuse me' as he headed up the stairs. There were more important things than a report on cauldrons.

"Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday!" Mrs. Weasley said weakly, "This hasn't got anything to do with your office. Surely they can handle this without you?"

"I've got to go, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, "I've made things worse. I'll just change into my robes and I'll be off..."

As Mr. Weasley went for the stairs, Elizabeth got up to let him go by.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, "Hedwig hasn't arrived with a letter for me, has she?"

"Hedwig, dear? No...No, there hasn't been any post at all."

Elizabeth looked over at Harry. The only other person he'd be writing to would be Sirius...

"All right if I go dump my stuff in your room, Ron?" Harry asked, glancing at them with a look that said he wanted to talk.

"Yeah...Think I will too," Ron said, getting to his feet, "Hermione? Elizabeth?"

They quickly made their way up the stairs to Ron's room, where Hermione closed the door behind them.

"What's up, Harry?" Ron asked, sitting on his bed.

"There's something I haven't told you," Harry said slowly, sitting on his cot and looking at the others while Elizabeth took a seat at the desk, "On Saturday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again."

Elizabeth's eyes widened a little, her hand going over her mouth. She thought to the day before, the feeling of dread she'd had. She'd ignored it. If she'd known Harry's scar had been hurting, maybe she'd have paid more attention...Maybe she'd have mentioned it to the others...Harry's scar hurting had never been good in the past. It was a connection to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named being close...

"But—he wasn't there, was he?" Ron asked weakly, "You-Know-Who? I mean—last time your scar kept hurting, he was at Hogwarts, wasn't he?"

"I'm sure he wasn't on Privet Drive," Harry said, "But I was dreaming about him...him and Peter—you know, Wormtail."

Elizabeth nodded a little. The man who'd pretended to be a rat for years. Ron's pet rat, Scabbers, to be exact.

"I can't remember all of it now," Harry said, "But they were plotting to kill...Someone."

"It was just a dream," Ron said, "Just a nightmare."

"Was it?" Elizabeth asked weakly, "I mean...Harry's scar isn't exactly normal. And...And then last night..." Elizabeth sighed, looking down. "I had a feeling yesterday, when we were heading to the match, that something was going to happen. One of those weird feelings I get? I didn't want to mention it, with the match and all, but with Harry's scar hurting..."

Elizabeth glanced up to Harry at that. He was watching her closely, and she glanced down again.

"I think you're right," Harry said, "I mean, I have that dream, then three days later this happens? And remember what Professor Trelawney said? At the end of last year?"

"Oh, Harry, you aren't going to pay attention to anything that old fraud says?" Hermione asked with a snort.

"True Seers do exist," Elizabeth said, "And what about the feelings I get?"

"They're all just coincidence," Hermione said defiantly.

Harry and Ron didn't seem as convinced, and neither was Elizabeth. Once or twice, sure, she would consider it a coincidence. But it happened way too often to be that. Besides, as Harry said, there was still her Divination teacher's prediction. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was going to rise again, thanks to a servant returning to him. And Wormtail had escaped that night...

"Why were you asking if Hedwig had come, Harry?" Ron asked after a moment.

"I told Sirius about my scar," Harry said slowly, "I'm waiting for his answer."

"Good thinking! I bet Sirius'll know what to do!"

"I hoped he'd get back to me quickly," Harry said, staring out the window.

"But we don't know where Sirius is...He could be in Africa or somewhere, couldn't he? Hedwig's not going to manage _that_ journey in a few days."

"Yeah, I know."

Harry was still staring out the window. Elizabeth frowned, wishing she knew how to help. But this wasn't something she knew how to handle. Of course, this was a completely unique situation. How many people could say they had a friendly godfather whom they thought, until a few months ago, had been wanting to kill him but he'd really been after his best friend's rat, who was actually a murderer in disguise?

"Come and gave a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Harry," Ron said, getting up, "Come on—three on three, Bill and Charlie and Fred and George will play...You can try out the Wronski Feint..."

"Ron, Harry doesn't want to play Quidditch right now," Hermione said sternly, "He's worried, and he's tired...We all need to go to bed..."

"Actually, I want to play Quidditch," Harry said, getting up, "Hang on, I'll get my Firebolt."

"I'll come too," Elizabeth said, "Not to play, but I could use some fresh air and a good run on my broom."

Ron and Harry nodded, heading out and Elizabeth turned to Hermione, who looked annoyed.

"Sometimes you need distraction," she said with a shrug, "Flying seems as good as anything."

Elizabeth turned, heading down to Ginny's room and grabbing her Comet Two-Sixty before heading on downstairs. She'd just gotten into the kitchen, though, when she noticed someone that made her stop.

"Mum?"

"Oh, Elizabeth, thank heavens," Grace hurried forward, pulling Elizabeth into a hug. Elizabeth felt her face burning, especially with Fred and George smirking nearby.

"Mum, I was going to write you, to let you know I was okay," Elizabeth said.

"I know, but after I read that article in the _Daily Prophet_..." Grace said slowly, "I've talked with Lewis already. Amos stopped by. And I had to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, Mum," Elizabeth muttered.

"Are you sure?" Grace looked Elizabeth over, and Elizabeth could see she was wearing her lime green robes for work. That meant she was coming here before heading in to work. That just made Elizabeth even more embarrassed. She wasn't a child, after all.

"You can come on home for the rest of the summer, if you want," Grace said and Elizabeth tensed.

"Mum, I'm fine here," she said, "The Weasleys are great. I'll be fine, I promise."

"If you want to go on home, dear, you can," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I'm fine," Elizabeth said, yet again, "Mum, I promise. I'll write you every day if it'll convince you to let me stay."

Grace sighed, shaking her head.

"You can be stubborn, can't you?" she asked, though there was a faint grin on her face, "Okay, you can stay. Just behave yourself, okay? Stay out of trouble. I'll come to see you off to Hogwarts, all right?"

"Okay," Elizabeth said, nodding. She liked that her mother cared so much, but to have her show up like this...It was very embarrassing, "I'll see you when we leave for school."

"Good," Grace said, kissing Elizabeth on the forehead, "Take care."

Grace looked as if she didn't want to leave, but she finally did head on simply because she was going to be late for work. And, blushing furiously at Fred and George's smirks, Elizabeth hurried on out the door into the gardens.


	9. Chapter Nine

_**Chapter Nine:**_

Elizabeth enjoyed her week at the Weasleys, even with the fact she had to deal with Fred and George's teasing over her mother's unexpected visit. She spent the more sunny days out in the garden with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As the holidays were ending, however, rain was setting in and they spent their days inside instead, playing wizard chess or talking about the excitement of the Quidditch match they'd seen the week before.

When Elizabeth woke up on September first, a storm was raging outside. She groaned, changing into warmer clothes and made sure everything was settled in her trunk before heading downstairs, meeting Mr. Weasley halfway on the stairs.

"Urgent call at the Ministry," he said, "Have to leave a bit early. It was nice having you over, Elizabeth. Have a good term, all right?"

Mr. Weasley was already heading on up the stairs, leaving Elizabeth confused. She pushed that back, however, heading on down into the kitchen.

"Who is Mad-Eye?" Harry was asking as Elizabeth took a seat at the table. Apparently she was walking into the middle of a conversation.

"He's retired," Charlie said, "Used to work at the Ministry. I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror—one of the best...Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though...The families of people he caught, mainly...And I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere."

"Mum knows him," Elizabeth said, "She says he always causes problems when he comes into St. Mungo's. He never wants to actually come, but sometimes he gets injures he can't take care of on his own."

The journey to King's Cross was a rough one this year. Elizabeth was used to it just being her with her mother and brother, sometimes her aunt along. With the Weasleys, however, it was a lot more chaotic. They'd had to call Muggle cabs and trying to load the trunks and pets of seven Hogwarts students in the rain was no easy feat.

Elizabeth was relieved when they finally made it, soaked through from the rain, onto platform nine-and-three-quarters. She and her friends found themselves a compartment halfway along the train before heading back to say goodbye to the Weasleys, and Elizabeth quickly found her mother with Lewis.

"Good, I caught you," Grace said, looking between her children, "You two have a good term, okay?"

"We will," Lewis said, "We'll see you at Christmas."

"Well, considering certain...events, I'm sure you'll be wanting to stay at Hogwarts this year," Grace said, ruffling Lewis's hair, "Thank Merlin you won't be old enough."

"What?" Lewis and Elizabeth asked together. What was her mother talking about?

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Grace said as the train gave a long whistle blow, "You two better get going."

Elizabeth climbed onto the train with her brother, but she was looking at her mother still.

"What's going on this year?" she asked, "Why're we going to want to stay at Hogwarts? Why isn't Lewis old enough?"

But Grace just smiled and waved, taking a step back. Elizabeth groaned as the train started off and she looked to Lewis.

"Don't look at me, I'm as clueless as you are," he said, "I'm going to go find Cedric. See if he knows anything about this."

Lewis headed on down the train and Elizabeth sighed, heading on to the compartment where her friends were waiting, letting herself in. Her friends were already chatting, and Elizabeth noticed Ron had covered his owl's cage with some maroon-covered cloth with old lace around the edges.

"Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts," Ron was saying as Elizabeth took a seat next to Harry, "At the World Cup, remember? But my own mother won't say.."

"My mum even knows," Elizabeth said, "She just started talking about how she was sure we wouldn't want to come home for the holidays this year."

"Mum said the same thing to us!" Ron said, "Wonder what's—"

Hermione suddenly hushed them, pointing towards the compartment door Elizabeth had left open when she came in.

"...Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know," came the voice of Draco Malfoy, "He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore—that man's such a Mudblood lover—and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually _learn_ them, not just the defense rubbish we do..."

Hermione edged towards the door, closing it with a glare.

"Wish he had went to Durmstrang," Elizabeth hissed, "Then we'd never have to deal with him."

They spent the ride chatting with each other, and with friends who stopped by. Harry, Ron, and Hermione's Gryffindor friends, as well as Elizabeth's Hufflepuff ones. Susan came by at one point, sharing stories of the Quidditch match. Hermione seemed to tire of Quidditch and disappeared behind a textbook halfway to Hogwarts.

At one point, they were greeted by Neville Longbottom, a round-faced Gryffindor boy who was often nervous or losing various things. Still, he was one of the best in their Herbology class and Elizabeth liked him for that.

He was very interested in their tale of the Quidditch World Cup, and with Ron's figurine of Viktor Krum.

"We saw him right up close as well," Ron said, "We were in the Top Box—"

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley."

Elizabeth resisted the urge to groan as she looked up. Why did Malfoy think he had to butt himself into everyone's business? This time, however, he'd bought his usual sidekicks: Crabbe and Goyle. Both twice as big as Malfoy, and twice as dumb—which was an amazing feat, as far as Elizabeth was concerned.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," Harry snapped. Malfoy seemed to ignore them, though. He'd noticed the cloth over Pigwidgeon's cage, with Elizabeth now realized were a set of robes.

"Weasley...what is that?" Malfoy asked in delight, snatching the robes and holding them up with a laugh, "Look at this! Weasley, you weren't thinking of _wearing_ these, were you? I mean—they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety..."

"Eat dung, Malfoy!" Ron hissed, snatching the robes back. Malfoy was laughing, however, and Crabbe and Goyle seemed to think it was a good idea to follow suit. Elizabeth glared at them. Couldn't they leave them alone for once?

"So, going to enter, Weasley?" Malfoy asked with a smirk, "Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved as well, you know...you'd e able to afford some decent robes if you won..."

"Why don't you shove off, Malfoy?" Elizabeth snapped, but Malfoy ignored her.

"I suppose _you_ will enter, Potter?" he asked, looking to Harry now, "You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"

"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," Hermione said, not looking up from her book.

"Don't tell me you don't know?" Malfoy asked in delight, his face lighting up as he looked to Ron, "You've for a father and a brother in the Ministry and you don't even _know_? Martin, you have an aunt and uncle in the Ministry! You don't know either? God, _my_ father told me about it ages ago...Heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry—"

"We don't give a damn how many arses your father's kissed to get his connections," Elizabeth hissed. It was rare for her to anger, but when she did, she blew, "So why don't you go brag to a few rats? Maybe they might care that your father buys his way into power."

Malfoy's face flushed in rage. Without a word, he stormed off with Crabbe and Goyle and Elizabeth slammed the door shut.

"Merlin, I hate him," she said as she sat back down. Ron was fuming as well.

"_Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry_," Ron mocked, "Dad could've got a promotion any time...He just likes it where he is..."

"Of course he does," Hermione said simply, "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron—"

"Him? Get to me? As if!" Ron snapped.

Neville seemed to think it would be safer for him to leave and he headed on after that. The compartment was quiet for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts, with Elizabeth absentmindedly petting Cream as she stared out the window at the rain.

What was happening at Hogwarts this year? It seemed everyone but them knew about it. Her mother knew. She was sure Xavier knew, which meant Aunt Ginger did too. From what Ron said, his family knew what was going on. And now Malfoy knew. He had tried to hold it over their heads...

"Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to find out what's going on," Elizabeth said after a long silence, "I hate Malfoy acting all smug and superior just because his father pays people off for information."

"Malfoy's a git," Harry said, "We should just ignore him."

"Since when do you ignore Malfoy?" Hermione raised her eyebrow at Harry over the top of her book. Harry didn't respond.

The rain was coming down even harder than before by the time they reached the Hogsmeade station. Elizabeth groaned, getting Cream in her carrier before following her friends off the train. They could see Hagrid in the distance, calling for first years.

"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," Hermione said, hugging her robes closer against her as the wind blew more rain under the cover of the platform and onto the students exiting the train.

"It's going to be rough for all of them," Elizabeth said.

The crowds were slowly moving, but they finally made it to the hundreds of horseless carriages that would take them to Hogwarts. Elizabeth quickly climbed in, Harry, Ron, and Hermione close behind. All four of them were eager for the warmth of Hogwarts and a nice, hot feast.

Unfortunately, just getting into the castle did not mean they were done with being soaked. Almost as soon as they were in the door, they were bombarded by ice cold water. Elizabeth screamed, pulling the hood of her robes over her head, even though it did no good as she was already soaked.

Someone was laughing overhead and Elizabeth looked up, unsurprised to see Peeves the poltergeist overhead with an armload of water balloons. He seemed to think the only way to greet students escaping the rain was to soak them more.

"PEEVES! Peeves, come down here at ONCE!"

Elizabeth looked up through her rain-speckled glasses to see Professor McGonagall, her Transfiguration teacher and Assistant Headmistress of Hogwarts, was rushing forward.

"Peeves! Get down here NOW!"

"Not doing nothing!" Peeves replied, hanging upside down and tossing a water balloon at a group of fifth years who'd just come in, "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts!"

People were giving shouts and screams, rushing for the Great Hall, slipping over the wet floor. Elizabeth was hunched up under her soaked robes, the hood still over her head.

"I shall call the headmaster!" Professor McGonagall threatened, "I'm warning you, Peeves!"

With the treat of Professor Dumbledore being involved, Peeves blew a loud raspberry before launching off his final water balloons and disappearing through the ceiling. The chaos over, Elizabeth went towards the Great Hall with her friends.

"See you tomorrow," Elizabeth told them, separating from them and heading to the Hufflepuff table. She quickly found her friends, who were all as soaked through as she was and shivering slightly.

Hannah Abbott, one of the kindest people Elizabeth knew, was currently chatting with Sally-Anne about their summers. Justin Finch-Fletchley was currently explaining some Muggle sport to Rodger Malone.

"Have a nice summer, Susan?" Elizabeth asked.

"Oh yes," Susan said, "I was upset at first that I didn't get to go to the Quidditch World Cup, but after what happened..."

"It was terrifying," Elizabeth said, "I try not to think about it. But the Quidditch match itself was amazing. I was actually up in the Top Box."

"You were?" Susan asked, her eyes widening.

"You're so lucky!" Oliver Rivers said in jealousy, "We had seats, but they weren't really that good. And we were there for two weeks before the match even started..."

"Be lucky you actually got to _go_," Megan Jones said, "I didn't get to at all."

The doors to the Great Hall opened, and Elizabeth looked up to see Professor McGonagall walking in, leading a group of shivering first years. Most seemed terrified and miserable, but one who stood out looked as if he were having the time of his life. Even if his face was the only thing visible, as the rest of him was hidden in a massive coat that Elizabeth recognized to be Hagrid's. She was quite sure that coat could easily cover six or seven first years, so just one boy who was already smaller than most wearing it made him seem like a massive furry heap with a small human head on top.

Elizabeth liked watching the Sorting ceremony. It always started with the Sorting Hat singing a new song describing the four Houses—Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin—before proceeding to Sort each of the new first years. It was always a long process. There was usually over a hundred new students every year, and each one could take anywhere from seconds to several long minutes.

And as much as Elizabeth loved the Sorting, clapping with her table every time someone joined the Hufflepuff House, she was always eager for them to be over because it meant the feast would begin. After the freezing rain, Elizabeth was eager for a warm meal.

"Have any of you heard the rumors of what's supposed to be happening at Hogwarts this year?" Oliver asked as they dug into the food, "Mum kept hinting that there was something big in the works."

Oliver's mother worked in the Department for Magical Games and Sports. The same department Ludo Bagman was head of.

"_Something_ is going on," Susan said, "My auntie said this was going to be a year we wouldn't forget."

"Even my mum knows something," Elizabeth said, "She was telling me she doubted Lewis and I would be coming home for the holidays this year, because of whatever is going to happen."

"Maybe we'll find out during the headmaster's speech," Hannah said.

"You mean you haven't been told?"

Elizabeth sighed, looking to where a fourth-year was leaning around his friend towards them. Zacharias Smith. Probably the one person who was as annoying as Draco Malfoy.

"Aren't you friends with Harry Potter?" Zacharias asked, looking to Elizabeth, "Isn't he Professor Dumbledore's favorite? He gets told everything, doesn't he?"

"Harry isn't all knowing," Elizabeth shot back, "What's your obsession with him anyway?"

"I just don't think Potter deserves all the praise he gets all the time. He's just some guy who happens to be the headmaster's favorite student and gets away with way too much."

Elizabeth glared at Zacharias, deciding it better not to dignify his comment with a response and turned to the others.

"Do you think whatever is going on has to do with why we had to get dress robes?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Maybe?" Rodger replied, "We've never needed them before."

They were still theorizing what was going to be happening at Hogwarts well through the desserts and only fell silent once all the food disappeared and Dumbledore had rose to his feet.

"So! Now that we're all fed and watered," Dumbledore said with a bright grin, "I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices."

Elizabeth straightened a little. Maybe they'd find out what was going to be happening this year...

At first, however, it was just the usual start of term notices. Banned objects—a complete list of which would be at Mr. Filch's office, though Elizabeth was sure no one would be reading it. Out of bounds areas of the school—mainly the Forbidden Forest and the Whomping Willow. Though there was one announcement that was not taken well by the students.

"It is also my painful duty," Dumbledore said solemnly, "That the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"_What_?"

It was an echoed shout of outrage throughout the students, Elizabeth and her friends included. Quidditch was one of the best ways to distract students from their studies. Even the most studious of Elizabeth's classmates—Ernie and Hermione came to mind—loved a good Quidditch match. Why were they canceling it?

'This is due to an event that will be starting in October," Dumbledore called over the shouting, "And will continue throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy—but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts—"

Dumbledore didn't get to finish. The doors to the Great Hall opened at the same time there was a loud roll of thunder. Elizabeth stared, her eyes widening at the sight of the man coming along the tables.

He had an obvious limp, a dull thud hitting the ground with every other step, though it echoed loudly in the silence of the Great Hall. He was heavily scarred, and one of his eyes had been replaced with a magical one that was twice the size of a normal eye and an unnatural blue color. It was also moving around in unnatural ways in its socket, taking in the entire Great Hall and all the students.

The man made it to the teacher's table and greeted Dumbledore, then sat down in the seat usually reserved for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Even though his normal eye focused on the plate of food that appeared for him, the odd blue eye kept scanning the Great Hall. It made Elizabeth nervous.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore broke the silence, "Professor Moody."

There was nervous murmurings in the crowd where usually there would be applause. Elizabeth looked over at her friends around her at the Hufflepuff table.

"_Mad-Eye Moody_?" she asked softly, "They're having a paranoid ex-Auror teaching us?"

"Well, who better?" Susan asked nervously, "I mean, he'd obviously know what he's talking about..."

"As I was saying," Dumbledore went on, "We are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. The Triwizard Tournament was a dangerous event, taking place every five years between Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. It had been discontinued centuries ago because there had been so many deaths involved. Now they were bringing it back? Elizabeth was suddenly filled with excitement, anticipation, and nerves.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, waving for silence, "The heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on the contenders this year. Only students who are of age—that is to say, seventeen or older—will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."

'_No wonder Mum was happy when we left,'_ Elizabeth thought. Lewis had only just turned sixteen a few weeks ago. He wouldn't be old enough to compete in the tournament.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year," Dumbledore went on, "I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Elizabeth grinned as she got up, heading off with her fellow Hufflepuffs.

"The Triwizard Tournament!" Rodger said excitedly, "Even if we aren't old enough to compete, it'll be great to actually see it, won't it?"

"Maybe we'll have a Hufflepuff as champion!" Sally-Anne said, "Wouldn't that be amazing? Gryffindors get all the glory. It'll be nice to stand out for once."

"I agree," Elizabeth said, "It'd be amazing."

They made their way down into the basement and passed the pile of barrels that blocked the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. Even though it was underground, Elizabeth never felt claustrophobic in her common room. It was always bright and warm, with overstuffed chairs and plants scattered around. Elizabeth passed by, however, heading into the girls' dormitories and across to the room where she shared with others. Like in the common room, little round windows were along the top of the wall, level with the ground outside. Most were rain-washed from the storm outside currently, but the slight underground feel deafened the storm slightly.

Full of warm food and in a warm, cozy room, the five girls changed into pajamas and curled up in their beds, covering themselves with patchwork quilts. Elizabeth, at least, was asleep almost instantly.


	10. Chapter Ten

_**Chapter Ten:**_

"Looks like we have Herbology with Gryffindors first thing," Susan said during breakfast the next morning. They'd just gotten their new schedules and Susan was looking over their classes for the day.

"Transfiguration right after," Elizabeth said excitedly. Even though Muggle Studies was her favorite, Transfiguration was close. It was also her best class.

"But we have Charms and History of Magic afterward," Susan said with a sigh.

"Looks like you've got a good first day."

Elizabeth looked up to see Lewis and Cedric had just been passing by, but stopped when Lewis was looking over Elizabeth's shoulder at her schedule.

"Yeah, we do," she said, "What about you?"

"Double Potions with Slytherin first thing," Cedric said with a sigh, "Just our luck. But we have Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic after lunch."

"Good luck," Elizabeth said.

"We should get going, Ced," Lewis said, "We need to get our Potions supplies and get to class."

Lewis and Cedric left and when Elizabeth turned back, she noticed Susan was staring after them. A bit too curiously. Elizabeth assumed it was over Cedric and was just about to remind Susan that Cedric had a girlfriend, when Susan spoke up.

"When did your brother get so handsome?" she asked, causing Elizabeth to choke on her pumpkin juice.

"What?" she asked, patting her chest.

"Lewis has gotten very good looking over the summer, hasn't he?" Susan turned back to Elizabeth.

"You do know you're talking about my brother, right?" Elizabeth asked. Hannah and Sally-Anne were giggling. Elizabeth didn't know what was so amusing.

"Oh, hush, I can say your brother is cute," Susan said, getting up, "Come on. We have to get our books for Herbology."

They went back to the Hufflepuff common room to get their bags and books for their classes, then headed out across the damp lawn to the greenhouses.

"But do you realize just how weird it is you talking about my brother?" Elizabeth asked as they walked, "I mean...he's my _brother_!"

"I just said he's cute. It's not like I'm going to date him or anything, you know."

"But you're still calling my brother cute. It's weird."

Susan laughed, but didn't say anything. The Gryffindors were coming across the grounds now and Elizabeth grinned at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Professor Sprout—their Herbology teacher and head of Hufflepuff—led them all to greenhouse three, where Elizabeth sat at a tray with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. This was the only class she shared with them, so she often took this opportunity to talk with them when she could.

Sitting on each tray were some of the weirdest plans Elizabeth had seen—and she'd seen quite a few interesting things in the past three years at Hogwarts. These plants looked more like something that should have been in Care of Magical Creatures. It was like some type of slug growing from the dirt, growing vertically along a small pole. Worse yet, the slug was covered in boils.

"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout said, "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus—"

"They what?" Finnigan asked in disgust.

"Pus, Finnigan, Pus. And it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus."

"This stuff is bloody disgusting," Ron grumbled as they started work.

"Mum has a few bottles of distilled versions at home," Elizabeth said, wrinkling her noise at the strong smell, "She says it's good for healing boils and such."

"Doesn't mean it's not disgusting," Ron countered.

Professor Sprout hushed them, telling the students that they needed to be focusing on their work. Elizabeth was fine with this. Talking meant opening her mouth, and with the strong smell of the pus, it would leave an equally nasty taste in her mouth.

When the class ended, Elizabeth said goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, saying she'd see them after class and headed with the Hufflepuffs towards the castle for Transfiguration.

"We smell like that bubotuber pus," Hannah complained.

"Better than how we usually smell coming out of Herbology," Ernie said as they started up the stairs, "Rather smell like pus than dung."

"As long as it's gone by lunch," Megan added, "I mean, trying to eat while we smell like this?"

They'd reached the Transfiguration classroom by then, filing in and finding their seats. Elizabeth had just gotten out her quill and book when Professor McGonagall came in.

"Before we start, I will collect your summer assignments," Professor McGonagall said, tapping her wand on her desk, "You should all know this year we will be more challenging than the past years. You have been transfiguring animals to inanimate objects so far, but this year we will begin transfiguring one animal to another."

Elizabeth grinned at that. She always really enjoyed Transfiguration. Getting something more challenging was something Elizabeth was looking forward to.

Unfortunately, it seemed they weren't going to dive right into the spellwork. It seemed their first day was going to be full of note-taking and researching the basis of animal-to-animal transfiguration. Just from the notes, Elizabeth could already tell that Professor McGonagall was right about this stage of magic being a lot more challenging. Elizabeth and the others left Transfiguration with a headache and eager for a mindless lunch.

Charms wasn't any easier on Elizabeth. It had never been her best subject, and this year was proving to be no different. Even though Professor Flitwick was starting them off with a new version of a spell they'd already learned—the mending charm—Elizabeth was still struggling.

History of Magic, at least, was the same as usual. Professor Binns, the ghost who taught the class, droned on while Elizabeth and the others tried to take notes and struggled to same awake. At least it was a chance for Elizabeth to let her mind blank out after all the classes she'd had. She'd thought her first day back would be an easier load, but it turned out she was wrong.

The only thing she was grateful for was the fact that she didn't have any homework. Something she found out wasn't the case for Harry and Ron when she caught up with them on the way down to the Great Hall.

"Professor Trelawney loaded us down our first day," Ron grumbled when Elizabeth had asked how their day went.

"A chart about how planetary movements affect us," Harry added bitterly, "I don't know how you can enjoy that class, Elizabeth."

"Professor Trelawney is a bit bonkers but there is some good stuff there," Elizabeth said as Hermione came up to them.

"Lots of homework?" she asked seeing Harry and Ron's faces, "Professor Vector didn't give _us_ any at all!"

"Well, bully for Professor Vector," Ron grumbled.

They'd reached the entrance hall by then and were just starting for the Great Hall when Elizabeth noticed Malfoy nearby, waving a copy of the _Daily Prophet_.

"Weasley!" he called, "Hey, Weasley!"

"What?" Ron shot off, glaring at Malfoy.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley! Listen to this!"

Malfoy got one of those nasty grins on his face as he unfolded the paper and began to read:

"'_It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.'_"

Malfoy laughed as he looked up at them.

"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley," he said loudly, attracting stares of everyone around, "It's almost as though as he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?"

Elizabeth glared at Malfoy.

"Let's just ignore him," she said, grabbing Harry's arm, but there were a group of students watching Malfoy from the entrance of the Great Hall, blocking them from leaving.

"Come on, there's more!" Malfoy called, continuing to the paper, "_'Arnold Weasley, who was charged with the possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the age ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer_ Daily Prophet _questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.'_"

Malfoy laughed again as he looked up.

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" he called, "A picture of your parents outside their house—if you call that a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," Harry snapped, grabbing Ron's arm, as Ron was visibly shaking with anger.

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" Malfoy called, "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" Harry hissed, him and Hermione pulling Ron back. Elizabeth stepped forward, grabbing Ron's robes, "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Malfoy's face flushed as his gaze narrowed.

"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter," he snapped.

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry shot back.

"Come on, let's go," Elizabeth said.

They turned away and started for the Great Hall now that the crowd was clearing. There was a sudden loud bang and something white shot past them. Elizabeth spun around just to see Malfoy with his wand out, aimed towards Harry.

"OH NO YOU DON'T LADDIE!"

Professor Moody was a at the foot of the steps, his own wand out. In an instant, there was another loud bang and where Malfoy was standing there was now a white ferret. Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock as everyone around her fell quiet.

"Did he get you?" Moody asked, looking to Harry, though his magical eye was rolled into the back of his head.

"No, he missed," Harry said.

"LEAVE IT!"

"Leave—what?"

"Not you, him," Moody snapped, motioning over his shoulder. Elizabeth looked to see Crabbe had been reaching for the ferret on the floor.

The ferret started for the dungeons, but Professor Moody turned and aimed his wand at it.

"I don't think so!" he said loudly and with a jerk of his wand, the ferret rose into the air and hit the floor again.

Elizabeth clamped her hands over her mouth with a small snort. She knew it shouldn't be funny, but seeing Malfoy get what was coming to him...

"I don't like people who attacked when there opponent's back's turned," Professor Moody growled, making the ferret bounce up and down, "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do...Never—do—that—again."

"Professor Moody!"

Elizabeth looked up quickly. Professor McGonagall was coming down the stairs, a look of shock on her face.

"Hello Professor McGonagall," Professor Moody said as if greeting an old friend for tea. The ferret Malfoy was still bouncing on the ground.

"What...What are you doing?" Professor McGonagall asked, watching the ferret.

"Teaching."

"Teach—Moody, _is that a student_?" the books Professor McGonagall had been carrying slipped from her arms.

"Yep."

Professor McGonagall looked horrified. She rushed forward, pulling out her wand and in an instant, Malfoy was returned to normal, crouched on the ground, his face flushed.

"Moody!" Professor McGonagall said, turning to her fellow teacher, "We never use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," Moody said simply, "But I thought a good sharp shock—"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," Moody said, watching Malfoy closely, "Your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Malfoy said shortly.

"An old friend," Moody said, "I've been looking forward to chat with old Snape...Come on, you..."

Moody grabbed Malfoy by the arm, pulling him off to the dungeons. Professor McGonagall gathered her books and told everyone to head on to dinner.

"Don't talk to me," Ron said, "I want to fix that in my memory forever. Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret..."

Elizabeth snorted.

"Something I'll cherish forever," she said, "See you after dinner, okay?"

With that, she headed on over to the Hufflepuff table. At least the end of her first day was ending on a high note.


	11. Chapter Eleven

_**Chapter Eleven:**_

Elizabeth wasn't sure what to expect when the Hufflepuffs went into Defense Against the Dark Arts the next morning. After seeing what Moody had done to Malfoy the day before, Elizabeth had a feeling it was going to be completely different than the classes she'd had before.

Everyone was unnaturally quiet as they took their seats, glancing around at each other as they settled in at their desks and got their books out. Elizabeth fidgeted a little, glancing between Susan and Hannah on either side of her.

As the bell rang to start the class, Moody came into the classroom, limping as usual.

"You won't be needing your books," he said as he reached the desk and turned around, picking up a piece of parchment.

Elizabeth glanced at her friends before putting away her text book as Moody started the class by reading off a list of students, calling for attendance. Elizabeth felt a little awkward about it, as by fourth year teachers didn't need to use a list to get the names of students. However, Moody was a new teacher. Still, Elizabeth was uncomfortable as Moody's magical eye fell on her when he called her name.

"All right," Moody said once he was done calling attendance, "Your previous Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher has left me a letter explaining the various creatures you've been studying. However, I have noticed that you have done nothing in how to deal with curses."

Hannah fidgeted nervously next to Elizabeth. She glanced to her friend and tried to give Hannah a reassuring look, but she was just as nervous.

"Now, I'm here to teach you how to deal with curses," Moody said, "We have a lot to deal with and only a year to cover it. So, let's begin. Curses. I'm only supposed to teach you about the countercurses, ways to protect yourselves. Illegal Dark curses are meant to wait until your sixth year, but Professor Dumbledore thinks you'll be able to handle it. The sooner you know about these curses, the stronger you'll be. After all, just because you're fourteen doesn't mean you'll be safe from a wizard who means harm. They don't care how old you are. They're not going to tell you what they're about to do. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert."

Elizabeth tensed a little. Moody was really going to be teaching them about curses this year? Actually...showing them the curses? How was he going to manage that? A lot of the curses were illegal.

"There are three curses that are punished more heavily than any others," Moody went on, looking around the room, "Does anyone want to make a guess as to one of them?"

A few students raised their hands slowly. Elizabeth was one of them.

"Miss Martin?" Moody looked over at her and Elizabeth took a deep breath.

"The...The torture curse..." she managed, "Cruciatus."

"Nasty curse, that one," Moody said, moving to his desk and picking up a jar with a spider in it, "Of course, this will need to be a bit bigger to really demonstrate it..."

Elizabeth froze. He was really about to use the Cruciatus Curse on a living creature? In front of all of them?

Moody was. He used a quick spell to make the spider grow larger, then kept his wand aimed at it and muttered, "_Crucio_."

The spider began to twitch and sway, rolling onto its back, its legs curled up on itself. Elizabeth found herself unable to look away, no matter how badly she wanted to. She'd heard her mother talk about patients in St. Mungo's who had been tortured this way...She even knew Neville Longbottom's parents were permanent residents—she'd known since she first met Neville during one of his visits when they were seven.

Moody gave his wand a small jerk and the spider stopped moving. He swept it back into the jar before turning back to the class.

"Torture comes in many forms," he said, "This little curse was a favorite among Death Eaters. So, anyone want to give me another?"

Much fewer hands rose into the air this time.

"Rivers?" Moody asked, looking to Oliver.

"The...The Imperius Curse," he whispered.

"Yes, that one," Moody said, "That one gave the Ministry a lot of trouble."

Moody pulled out a second spider. The classroom was incredibly silent now, everyone staring at the spider in Moody's hand.

"_Imperio_."

In an instant, the spider began to dance along Moody's hand before jumping over to his desk and began doing odd, eight-legged cartwheels. It might have been an amusing sight—if it weren't for the fact they'd just watch the previous spider being tortured.

"Control," Moody said, making the spider move to the edge of the desk and titer on the verge of throwing itself off, "During the war, there were a lot of witches and wizards who claimed they'd been under this curse when they were in Voldemort's command." (there were several winces over the name—Elizabeth included) "The Ministry had a devil of a time sorting out the liars from those who were actually Imperiused. Now, this curse can be fought and you will be learning how in this class. I don't expect all of you to succeed. It takes a lot of strength of mind to fight off the Imperius Curse. It takes constant vigilance."

Moody grabbed the jar and guided the spider back into it before turning back to the class.

"There's one more," he said, "The last Unforgivable Curse. Does anyone know what it is?"

A few people fidgeted in their chairs, but no one raised their hands. Not even Ernie, who was nearly as studious as Hermione was.

"Well, I'll tell you," Moody said, "The last one of the three is the Killing Curse."

Susan sucked in her breath next to Elizabeth and Hannah was fidgeting more. Elizabeth twitched a little, her eyes locked on their teacher. Moody reached into a third jar, pulling out a final spider and putting it on his desk before pointing his wand at it.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

A green light shot from Moody's wand and, in an instant, the spider was dead. Elizabeth swallowed hard, looking away. Hannah's hands were clasped over her mouth in horror. Susan's face had gone pale. Ernie looked sick nearby, and Rodger was gripping his hands tightly.

"There's no countercurse to this one," Moody said, looking over the class, "In known history, only one person has survived it. I'm sure you all know who he is."

Elizabeth knew. Harry Potter was her best friend, after all. He somehow survived the curse when he was only an infant.

"The only way to avoid this curse is to not let yourself get in a situation where it can be used," Moody said, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE."

Elizabeth let out a squeak as she jumped. The entire class jumped as well, but none of them had made a noise.

"Now, these three curses are known as the Unforgivable Curses," Moody went on, moving to the blackboard and starting to write, "Any of these used against another human lands you in Azkaban for life. This is what you will all be up against. Get out your quills and copy all this down."

The only sound that echoed around the classroom was quills on parchment as everyone wrote down notes on the curses. Elizabeth was relieved when the bell rang and the Hufflepuffs were released for lunch.

The rest of the Hufflepuffs were chatting instantly about the class, and how Moody really seemed to know his work. Elizabeth, however, was still unnerved about the lesson. She broke off from the others as they reached the Great Hall and made her way to the Gryffindor table, where Ron and Harry were sitting alone.

"Where's Hermione?" she asked as she sat down.

"Library," Ron said, "I don't know what she's up to, but she spends every second outside of class there now."

"How was Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry asked, "Didn't you just come from that class?"

"It was...trying," Elizabeth said with a sigh, "Professor Moody...I'm not sure what he's thinking, but...He showed us the Unforgivable Curses."

Harry looked confused, but Ron's eyes had gone huge.

"He _showed_ them to you?" he echoed in disbelief, "You mean he just talked to you about them?"

"No, he showed us," Elizabeth said, "He had these spiders, and he demonstrated all three on them. Imperius, Cruciatus, and the Killing Curse."

"How are these curses unforgivable?" Harry asked, "I mean, I can guess on the Killing Curse, but the other two?"

"Imperius Curse gives you complete control over another person," Elizabeth said softly, "You lose all sense of who you are. You'll do anything the person says...You'd jump off a building, set yourself on fire, kill your best friend..."

The Cruciatus Curse isn't much better," Ron said, "It's a torture curse. Leaves you in pain, but never leaves a mark..."

"And the Killing Curse..." Elizabeth sighed. "Well, that's self-explanatory. It..." Elizabeth glanced up at Harry. "It's what You-Know-Who tried to use on you."

Harry fell silent, his gaze going down to his half-eaten lunch. Elizabeth found herself partly wishing she hadn't told Harry, but at the same time, she hated the idea of him going into Defense Against the Dark Arts without warning of what was coming.

"Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry for that?" Harry finally asked, "I mean, the curses are illegal, right?"

"Dumbledore's always done things his way, hasn't he?" Ron replied with a shrug, "And Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later—look at his dustbins."

"His dustbins?" Elizabeth asked, confused.

"The day we set out for the train," Ron said, "When Dad was called into the Ministry? Apparently it was to help Professor Moody. He'd charmed his dustbins to attack some intruder he thought was trying to break into his house."

"I always heard he was overly paranoid," Elizabeth said, "But I guess you can't deny he knows what he's talking about..."

"We don't have him until Thursday afternoon," Ron sighed, then looked at Harry, "We should get going. We have Potions."

"And I have Divination," Elizabeth said, finishing off her lunch, "See you after dinner."

With a goodbye to her friends, Elizabeth turned and headed off for her next class.

**xxxxx**

Over the next few days, Elizabeth quickly fell into a routine she found all too familiar at Hogwarts. Classes were spent with the Hufflepuffs, as were most of her meals. Breaks and after classes were spent with Harry and Ron—as Hermione always disappeared to the library. When Thursday came, Elizabeth waited outside the door to the Great Hall for her friends as usual. They all had Divination homework to do and planned to work on it together in the library.

"You had Defense Against the Dark Arts today, right?" Elizabeth asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Elizabeth," Harry said simply. Elizabeth doubted it, but didn't want to say anything. After all, how could anyone be okay seeing the curse that made him an orphan? The curse that should have killed him as well?

They walked in silence to the library and went up to one of their favorite places on one of the overhang areas, dodging books sorting themselves as usual. Elizabeth had no idea where Hermione was, but she figured her friend was somewhere between shelves, working on whatever project she had going.

"So, Divination homework," Elizabeth said, sitting at the table and pulling out her copy of _Unfogging the Future_. She quickly went to the right page and pulled out her parchment as she got to work, starting to research what she needed for her star chart and how it was supposed to affect her within the next month.

While Elizabeth was making progress with hers, Harry and Ron just looked confused. They kept scrapping parchment and mumbling under their breaths as they worked.

"Divination isn't as hard as you two keep making it out to be," Elizabeth said.

Harry's response was to just stare at Elizabeth as if she had suddenly turned into a troll.

"There you three are!"

Elizabeth looked up to see Hermione coming over, carrying a box with her. She quickly sat down just as Elizabeth finished up her assignment and put it away.

"I've finally finished!" Hermione said excitedly.

"With what?" Harry asked, "What's in that box?"

"Here, see for yourself."

Hermione pushed the box forward, lifting the lid. Dozens of badges of various colors were inside. Elizabeth reached in and picked up one, seeing it was labeled with four letters: S.P.E.W.

"Spew?" she asked curiously.

"Not _spew_," Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Never heard of it," Ron said, picking up a badge.

"Well, of course you haven't I've only just started it."

"Yeah? And how many members have you got?"

"Well, if you three join—four."

Elizabeth sighed, putting down the badge.

"Hermione, I'm not sure about this," she said, "I mean, house elves are really happy with the way things are."

Hermione glared at Elizabeth.

"Only because no one's bothered to show them differently," she said, "We'll change that. Our short-term aims are to secure house elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."

"House elves don't _need_ wands, Hermione," Elizabeth said, "They have their own magic."

"They should still be allowed to carry them!" Hermione hissed.

Elizabeth was about to argue more, but she heard a tapping noise on the window behind her and she looked up to see a familiar snowy owl sitting on the window seal.

"Hedwig!" Harry whispered, looking around to make sure Madam Pince wasn't around before opening the window up enough to get the letter, "Go on back to the Owlery. I don't have anything here. It's the library."

Hedwig looked offended, but flew off. Harry shut the window and settled back, holding a small bit of parchment.

"Sirius wrote back!" Elizabeth said excitedly, leaning forward, "What's it say?"

"Hold on," Harry unrolled the parchment quickly and began to read, "_'I'm flying north immediately. The news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore—they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron, Elizabeth, and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry.'_"

Elizabeth's eyes widened a bit and she felt her chest tighten.

"What's he thinking?" she asked, "He can't come back!"

"What'd he mean about Dumbledore reading the signs?" Ron asked, "What signs?"

"I shouldn't've told him," Harry hissed, "It's made him think he's got to come back! Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me!"

"Sirius has avoided the Ministry this long," Elizabeth said softly, but Harry pushed himself to his feet, gathering his things.

"I'm going to bed," he said simply, "See you in the morning."

With that, Harry turned and headed off across the library, leaving Elizabeth, Hermione, and Ron sitting alone and staring after him.


	12. Chapter Twelve

_**Chapter Twelve:**_

"You did _what_, Harry?"

It was the following morning. Elizabeth was standing in the Entrance Hall with Harry, Ron, and Hermione where Harry had wanted to talk before breakfast. Just to tell them that he had written Sirius and told him he had been wrong about his scar hurting before.

"I wrote Sirius," Harry whispered, "I'm not letting him get thrown back in Azkaban because of me. He can't come back."

Elizabeth frowned at Harry. She really didn't agree with what he did, but she understood why he did it. Sirius Black was his godfather and spent years in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. Considering Azkaban was filled with dementors, Elizabeth didn't want Sirius to be caught again either.

Besides, it wasn't like Elizabeth didn't have plenty to preoccupy herself over the next couple of months. It seemed the teachers thought that even though they were only fourth years, they were going to treat students as if they were in their O.W.L. year. It wasn't long at all before the homework began piling up in every class. Even History of Magic, where Professor Binns usually droning on and only gave homework occasionally was now giving them weekly essays. Most of their time was spent in the library working on homework together, though Elizabeth and her friends did try to go down to visit Hagrid now and then. Elizabeth had been a bit horrified when Harry and Ron told her about Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts, but as long as she didn't have to go near them, she'd be okay.

The worst of it, however, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Everyone was horrified to find out that Moody intended to teach them to fend off the Imperius Curse by casting it on each of them in turn.

"What?" Roger asked in disbelief, "But...The Imperius Curse is illegal!"

"And someone out to control you isn't going to care if it's illegal when they use the curse on you," Moody snapped, "But if you'd rather not learn how to protect yourself, you can leave."

Roger hesitated. His gaze went to the door and he looked tempted to actually leave. Elizabeth couldn't blame him. She wanted to leave the class too. Learning about the curses was one thing, but having them preformed on her...

No one left the classroom, however. Whether it was fear of what Moody would do, or want to learn defense, Elizabeth wasn't sure. She wasn't even fully sure why she was staying.

The following hour was one of the most disturbing Elizabeth had been through, but also a very informative one. Moody used the curse on each of the Hufflepuffs in turn, forcing them into various acts such as making Hannah imitate a rabbit, causing Ernie to do handstands, and Oliver to recite passages from some book Elizabeth never heard of.

Then came Elizabeth's turn. She stood in front of Moody and took a deep breath, reading herself. Moody raised his wand, aiming it at her, and said, "_Imperio_."

Instantly, Elizabeth felt herself relaxing, a sense of peace washing over her. There was a small voice in the back of her mind, echoing and encouraging in her mind.

_Take your glasses off and break them._

Elizabeth reached up, slipping her glasses off her face. Her vision became blurry, and she squinted down at her hands.

_Go on. One snap. Break them along the bridge._

Elizabeth gripped her glasses in her hands, then with a loud _snap_, they were broken in half. One lense in each hand.

"No good, Martin," Moody said. Instantly, the feeling of peace washed away and Elizabeth found herself standing in the center of the classroom, squinting at the blurred form of her broken glasses.

"You didn't fight at all. _Reparo_."

Elizabeth's glasses mended themselves instantly, and she felt her face grow hot as she pushed them back on. She hurried back to the other students as Susan reluctantly moved forward for her turn.

**xxxxx**

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were horrified when Elizabeth told them about how Moody planned to teach them to defend themselves against curses.

"He actually _used_ them on you?" Hermione asked, her face pale, "He _actually_ used the Imperius Curse on you?"

"He says it's the only way we can learn to fight it off," Elizabeth said, still feeling a bit shaky from the class, "It's...It's horrible. I didn't even hesitate. I just took off my glasses and snapped them in half without a single thought..."

"What is he _thinking_?" Hermione asked.

"That by putting us under the curse he can show us how to fight it off," Elizabeth said.

"He's mental, he is," Ron said, "No wonder the Ministry were eager to get rid of him."

After the Gryffindors had their next Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Elizabeth learned Harry had fared better than she had. He'd managed to resist the Imperius Curse, so Moody had made him go under it repetitively until he had been able to fight it completely. Though it left him limping for the rest of that afternoon.

Elizabeth noticed a change as the months went on. She was in her usual habit of spare time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, while classes and after curfew were with her fellow Hufflepuffs. But she also noticed that Susan was becoming more and more interested in Lewis, seeming more and more likely to be looking for him in the common room. And it seemed mutual. Elizabeth saw Lewis and Cedric seemed to be coming over more often, and Lewis seemed quite interested in talking to Susan every time.

Elizabeth had to admit, she wasn't that bothered. After all, it wasn't really any of her business who her brother dated. And she really liked Susan. The only problem she had was it was a bit uncomfortable listening to Susan talk about how good looking Lewis was, or seeing the way they looked at each other. After all, Lewis was her brother. Wasn't something she wanted to think about.

The end of October came before Elizabeth realized, as did an announcement the school had been waiting for. Elizabeth was coming down the stairs into the entrance hall, on her way to lunch with the fellow Hufflepuffs, when she noticed a sign had been put up near the marble staircase. A crowd was already forming and Ernie went into the crowd to try and get closer to the notice. Seconds later, the Gryffindors were coming in from Care of Magical Creatures and Elizabeth noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione among them. She grinned and waved at them as they came over.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Notice went up," Elizabeth replied, "Ernie's trying to get through to see what it's about."

And it was at that moment that Ernie reemerged from the crowd, grinning brightly.

"The other schools are going to be here Friday evening!" Ernie said excitedly, "Only a week away! I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go tell him..."

Ernie hurried off and Elizabeth shook her head. She was sure Cedric probably already did know. He had a free period before lunch, so he'd probably already seen the notice.

"Cedric?" Ron asked, turning to the others.

"Our Quidditch team captain," Elizabeth said, "You know, Lewis's friend?"

Ron snorted.

"That idiot, Hogwarts Champion?" he asked. Elizabeth glared at him.

"Cedric isn't an idiot, you know," she said, "He's a prefect, after all. I've known him for years, he's a great guy."

It seemed no one could talk about anything but the Triwizard Tournament over the following week, Elizabeth included. She had one point got into a heated debate with Wayne over where exactly Beauxbatons might be in France.

All the while, the castle was undergoing a cleaning like Elizabeth had never seen before. It was an odd sight, seeing the talking suits of armor shiny and reflective, or the paintings bright and removed of the slight dulling that gave them the character Elizabeth was in love with about her school. She'd been so used to how the castle was, she didn't really think about how others might see the castle it as dirty or old.

The morning before Halloween, when Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were to arrive that evening, Elizabeth found the Great Hall had been decorated accordingly. Banners hung along the walls, depicting the four Houses. And along the wall behind the staff table, a larger banner was hanging, bearing the Hogwarts school crest and motto.

"How do you think they'll come?" Wayne was asking as they sat down to breakfast, "By train?"

"Maybe," Ernie said, "I mean, King's Cross links train stations all over the place. I know there is one that goes to France, so maybe at least Beauxbatons might come through there."

"What do you think the students are like?" Sally-Anne asked, "Do you think any of them will know English?"

"I'm sure they will," Megan answered, "I mean, they're going to be staying at a school in a foreign country. It makes sense they'd learn the language. Especially if they're going to share classes with us."

"Their curriculum could be different from ours," Elizabeth said, remembering what Malfoy had said on the train. Durmstrang was known for teaching the Dark Arts rather than just defense against it. "What if our sixth and seventh years are teaching something they've already done, or if our classes are more advanced than theirs?"

"I want to know where they're going to sleep," Oliver said, "I mean, are they going to share our common rooms and dormitories? I don't think there's anywhere else in the school, except for taking up classrooms or one of the study halls."

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore has already worked out something," Roger said, "There's no way he'd invite the schools over without having somewhere for them to stay."

Hundreds of owls swooped in from the windows, delivering the daily mail. Elizabeth didn't have anything from her mother or aunt today, but she noticed a white owl among the sea of tawny, barn, and eagle owls. Sure enough, that white owl landed in front of Harry at the next table.

Harry took the letter and looked up, and noticed Elizabeth. With a nod from him, she knew she guess was right. It was from Sirius.

"I'll see you in class," Elizabeth said, getting up and heading for the entrance hall. Harry, Ron, and Hermione met her there just seconds later.

"What did Sirius say?" Elizabeth asked instantly.

"He's back in the country," Harry said, the worry clear on his face, "He's come back. He says he's hiding in a good place, and we shouldn't worry..."

"But this is Sirius, and the Ministry is after him," Elizabeth finished Harry's thought, "We'll worry about his safety anyway."

"Sirius is smart, though," Ron said, "He evaded the Ministry for a year, when they were actively looking for him. Dad's said the search has cooled now, they're focusing on bigger things. And they'll believe that Sirius won't come near Hogwarts with Mad-Eye Moody here. He'll be okay."

Elizabeth hoped Ron was right. She didn't know what would happen if Sirius was caught by the Ministry...Sirius was Harry's godfather, his only family. She didn't want Harry to lose him.

Though as the day wore on, Sirius was pushed further and further from Elizabeth's mind. With the anticipation of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arriving, no one seemed to concentrate much in class. In fact in Charms—their last class of the day—Professor Flitwick didn't teach a lesson at all. He simply let the students chat among themselves.

When the bell rang a half hour earlier than usual, Elizabeth and the other Hufflepuffs hurried to their dormitories to drop off their school bags and grab their cloaks. Susan and Hannah were checking their reflections in the mirror nearby and Elizabeth reached up, straightening her own ponytail. These were students from another country. They needed to make a good impression.

They hurried back out of the common room and up the stairs to the entrance hall where the Heads of Houses were calling their students together. Elizabeth hurried over to Professor Sprout.

"We're finally going to meet the other students," Lewis said with a grin. Elizabeth noticed Susan's face went pink.

"I'm looking forward to it," she said.

'_At least they never flirt,'_ Elizabeth found herself thinking. The constant grins and looks they were giving each other were sickening enough.

"All right, first years up here," Professor Sprout called from the front of the Hufflepuffs, "Everyone, follow me now. Stick together!"

They made their way out of the castle, Elizabeth tightening her cloak around her. It was a bit chilly, but the sky was clear. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky, casting a glow across the grounds.

"Why couldn't we greet them inside?" Hannah asked, shivering a little, "It's cold out here."

"I guess it's only fair," Cedric said near them, "I mean, if the tournament was being hosted at Durmstrang or Beauxbatons they'd probably wait in front of the school to greet us."

"We could greet them gathered in the Great Hall, though," Hannah grumbled.

"Think they'll come by train?" Lewis asked.

"Ernie thinks so," Susan said.

"Aha!" Dumbledore called over the crowd, "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

There was an excited murmuring through the crowd as everyone began to look around. Elizabeth couldn't see anything yet, no sign of students coming up to the gates...

"There!" Lewis shouted and Elizabeth looked up to see him pointing towards the sky over the Forbidden Forest.

Elizabeth squinted as Sally-Anne raised herself on her tip-toes to see over others' heads. Something large was approaching in the darkness. A massive blue carriage, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses that were massive in size themselves.

Excitement went through the crowd. Elizabeth was watching with a strong fascination as the horses landed and the carriage hit the ground, gave a comical bounce, and then settled. Several of the first and second years at the front of the crowds were backing into the students behind them to make room.

The door to the carriage opened and Elizabeth saw a boy hop out, dressed in light blue robes. He worked with something under the door and then pulled out a set of stairs before setting them up at the door and stepping back. After a few seconds, a very large woman stepped out, dressed in silks and many pieces of jewelry.

And the woman was indeed large. Elizabeth was sure she had to be at least as tall as Hagrid, with dark hair pulled back in an elegant bun and a sharp, attractive face. While Hagrid looked intimidating and had wild, unmanageable hair and beard, this woman was intimidating in a different way. She was imposing and elegant.

"My dear Madame Maxime," Dumbledore said, stepping forward and taking the woman's hand, kissing it lightly, "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," Madam Maxime greeted with a smile, "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you."

Madam Maxime stepped back, introducing a group of teens behind her. Elizabeth knew they all had to be at least seventeen, and all were dressed in thin robes of a light blue silk. They all seemed to not be taking well to the cold at all and were huddled together tightly, some even wrapping scarves around their heads for warmth. Many of them were staring at Hogwarts with looks on their faces as if they were less than impressed.

Dumbledore offered for the students to go inside to wait, and Madam Maxime agreed, leading the group of Beauxbatons boys and girls towards the castle. That is, after Dumbledore assured Madam Maxime that Hagrid would be able to care for the horses pulling her carriage.

"Do you think Durmstrang will coming in a flying carriage too?" Roger asked, scanning the skies.

"Do you think the students will be staying in the carriage?" Susan asked, "Maybe that's why it's so large?"

No one got a chance to answer Susan. There was a rumbling sound echoing over the grounds, and someone shouted something about the lake. Elizabeth stretched herself up to see the lake was bubbling up, as if the water was starting to boil. Slowly, from the middle of the bubbles, a whirlpool began to form. A mast began to rise from the center...

It was a ship. A large, wooden ship rose from the whirlpool and floated in air for just a moment as the water flooded to fill the whirlpool. The lake resumed its usual form and the ship gently hit the surface, though it sent waves washing over the shores. Slowly, the ship made its way to the banks where it dropped anchor and a long plank reached from the deck to the shore.

A few dozen teens were making their way down the plank, each dressed in heavy robes of dark red, lined in fur. Ahead of them was a tall man dressed in dark robes himself, and also wearing furs. Durmstrang really must be in a cold environment.

"Dumbledore!" the tall man greeted, hurrying forward, his short, gray hair almost glowing in the dusk lighting, "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore said with a grin, greeting the man as if he were an old friend.

"Dear old Hogwarts," Karkaroff said, looking up to the castle, "How good it is to be here, how good...Viktor, come along, into the warmth...you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."

Elizabeth's eyes widened as Lewis gave a gasp. An excited murmur went through the crowd as they watched the Durmstrang students starting for the castle. Elizabeth was scanning the group furiously, looking for a familiar shape.

She couldn't see him, but there was no doubting it. Viktor Krum was at Hogwarts.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_**Chapter Thirteen:**_

"Viktor Krum! Here at Hogwarts!"

"Does anyone have a spare scrap of parchment?"

"Does anyone have a _quill_?"

The excited chatter rippled through the crowd of Hogwarts students as dinner began that night. Elizabeth kept stretching up as much as she could for a glimpse of the famous Quidditch player, but she still couldn't get sight of him among the Durmstrang students—whom had taken seats at the Slytherin table.

"Why didn't we realize he'd be coming before?" Roger asked with a groan as they sat at the Hufflepuff table, "I mean, _Quidditch Today_ said he attends Durmstrang. Of _course_ he'd come to compete in the Triwizard Tournament!"

"Wouldn't you think he has enough fame already?" Sally-Anne asked, turning to Roger from where she'd been leaning up to get a glance at Krum.

Elizabeth had been watching as well, completely unsurprised to see Malfoy leaning towards Krum, trying to start up a conversation. Probably bragging about all the money and connections his family had. Elizabeth glanced around, noticing the Beauxbatons students were over at the Ravenclaw table, still wrapped in cloaks and shawls.

"Just because you're famous doesn't mean you stop wanting the attention," Roger said, "Look at Harry Potter. He's always getting into trouble, drawing attention to himself—"

"He doesn't _want_ the attention, you know," Elizabeth cut in, stabbing her fork into some meat she'd gotten from one of the exotic dishes that were being served, "It just sort of...happens."

"Yeah, right," Ernie said, "Look, I bet if there wasn't an age limit, Harry would be one of the first to put his name up. Who wouldn't want the chance to represent Hogwarts?"

"It doesn't matter anyway," Susan said, "We all know Cedric will be our Champion!"

"We don't know that for sure," Cedric said, leaning closer from where he and Lewis were sitting close by, "I mean, Hogwarts has a lot of talented students. I may be of age, but I'm still a sixth year. It'll probably be a seventh year who's chosen."

"Stop being so modest, Ced," Lewis said, slapping his friend on the back, "You'll be our champion. There's no one better!"

There was a cheer of agreement from the Hufflepuffs sitting within earshot. Oliver even raised his goblet of pumpkin juice in toast. Though as he went to take a sip of his drink, he suddenly choked, his eyes widening. Elizabeth raised her eyebrow at him and looked over her shoulder. She didn't see what he could be so shocked about. All she could see was one of the Beauxbatons girls was making her way along the tables. She was tall, with long blond hair, but there was nothing remarkable about her.

Except for the fact nearly every guy was turning to watch her. Susan gave an annoyed huff and Elizabeth turned to see her glaring at Lewis, who was staring at the girl passing by with his mouth hanging open. Elizabeth couldn't help but be annoyed herself. What was so remarkable about this girl? She was just some student. Just because she was from France didn't mean she was any more special than anyone here at Hogwarts.

The doors near the staff table opened and Elizabeth looked up to see two more people were coming in. Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she noticed it was Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch. What were they doing here?

'_Maybe they're wanting to see the start of the tournament,'_ Elizabeth thought slowly. After all, they seemed to be the ones behind the tournament being reformed.

When the desserts came, talk was of nothing but the tournament. Everyone was talking about Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch arriving, and theories buzzing on how the champions would be chosen.

"Maybe Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch will choose?" Rodger asked over a bowl of some odd looking pudding—a dessert from either Durmstrang or Beauxbatons most likely, "I mean, why else would they be here?"

"They wouldn't know enough about the students to pick," Susan said, "All they would know is what the staff would tell them, and you know people will be biased."

"Any person is going to be biased," Justin said, "It's human nature. Besides, how will they know for sure how old someone is?"

"Maybe they'd have school records?" Elizabeth asked, "That way they can make sure a student isn't under age?"

"But that doesn't stop students from being able get in and change them," Oliver said, "I bet you dozen chocolate frogs that Slytherins would try to do that."

Soon enough, the desserts had disappeared. The Great Hall fell quiet as faces turned towards the staff table, where Professor Dumbledore had risen to his feet.

"The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start," Dumbledore said cheerfully, "I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those of you who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

While the applause for Mr. Crouch was scattered and polite, Mr. Bagman received a much warmer welcome. Elizabeth was one of the ones applauding much harder for the former Quidditch star.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

Dumbledore had motioned to each person as they were mentioned, but no one paid much attention. "Champions" had seemed to be a trigger word and people began to sit up straighter, shifting in their seats and watching Dumbledore closely. The headmaster of Hogwarts noticed the change and grinned softly.

"The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Many faces turned to watch as Filch brought an old, jewel-encrusted wooden chest into the Great Hall and started along the tables. Everyone was watching every move he made, people beginning to whisper excitedly. What did this chest have to do with the tournament?

"The instructions for the tasks the champions were face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore said, looking over the crowd, "And they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different way...their magical prowess—their daring—their powers of deduction—and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

Filch had reached the staff table now, laying the old chest on the table in front of Dumbledore. Elizabeth was very still, watching ahead of her. Every face was turned to the staff table currently, staring at Dumbledore and the jeweled chest.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore said, "One from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: The Goblet of Fire."

'_The what?'_ Elizabeth thought, though her silent question was immediately answered. Dumbledore tapped the chest in front of him and the lid slowly opened. He reached inside and took out a goblet. One that was obviously old and made of only wood, though that was not what was fascinating about it. Filling the cup, and dancing from it a few inches over the edge, were blue flames.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as a champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into this goblet," Dumbledore said as he gently put the flaming cup down on top of the chest that was once holding it, "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their name forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete."

Elizabeth noticed Lewis elbowing Cedric in the side with a grin at that. Cedric grinned back and shrugged.

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," Dumbledore went on, "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."

"Bet you some people will try, though," Ernie whispered with a smirk, "Wonder what will happen to them."

"Finally," Dumbledore said, "I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

Elizabeth got to her feet with the rest of her Housemates, everyone beginning to talk as the made their way along the table towards the door.

"So, when will you put your name in, Ced?" Lewis was asking up ahead of Elizabeth.

"I don't know," Cedric said, "I don't really think I want everyone watching when I do it."

"What's going on at the door?" Hannah asked suddenly, pointing to where a large crowd was forming.

Elizabeth stretched up onto her toes, looking over the head of others. It seemed like there were a group of Durmstrang students right at the door, and Elizabeth noticed Mad-Eye Moody was pushing through the crowd towards them. Elizabeth could see the Durmstrang headmaster's face go pale.

"Yeah, that's Harry Potter," Moody said over the crowd as he got closer, "And unless you've got anything to say to him, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

Karkaroff's face tightened and he turned, pushing his students on out the door and, slowly, the crowds began to head on through. Elizabeth spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione starting up the stairs and she waved to them with a grin before following along with her House towards the Hufflepuff Common Room, talk of the tournament still buzzing around them.

**xxxxx**

Elizabeth, like many others, was up early the next day. Elizabeth was always an early riser, even on the weekends. It was odd for her, however, to have nearly the whole school up this early on a weekend. It seemed everyone was excited about the announcement of the champions that night.

The Goblet of Fire had already been placed on a pedestal in the middle of the entrance hall sometime during the night. A couple dozen students were milling around, some eating on toast, wanting to watch as students put names in. Elizabeth noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione were coming down the stairs. Elizabeth grinned and hurried over to them.

"How about I get us some toast?" she asked, "We can head down and visit Hagrid. You have classes with him, but I haven't gotten to see him at all this year."

"That sounds good," Ron said, "As long as he doesn't ask us to donate fingers to his skrewts."

"I just realized!" Hermione said excitedly, "I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!"

Without waiting, Hermione ran off up the stairs and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"I'll be right back," she said, heading off to the Great Hall. She hurried over to the Hufflepuff table, grabbing a napkin and several pieces of toast. Cedric and Lewis were already at the table, and Elizabeth noticed Susan had sat with them and was chatting with Lewis over something.

"Already put your name in?" Elizabeth asked as she balanced her breakfast for four.

"Yeah, about an hour ago," Cedric replied, "I wanted to get it done before everyone woke up."

"Well, here's hoping you're our champion," Elizabeth said, grinning at her brother's friend before heading on back to the entrance hall. Hermione hadn't returned yet, but Fred and George were hurrying down the stairs with their friend, Lee Jordan, each holding a slip of paper.

"Done it!" Fred was whispering as Elizabeth caught up to Harry and Ron, handing each of them some toast.

"What?" Ron asked, taking a bite of his breakfast.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains."

"One drop each," George said, "We only needed to be a few months older."

"An Aging Potion?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief, "Honestly, you think _that_ will work? It's far too obvious."

Elizabeth's comment was ignored as the twins went to the golden line drawn along the floor in a circle around the goblet. Lee Jordan was right behind them.

"C'mon, I'll go first," Fred said, grinning brightly as he stared at the goblet. He took a deep breath, then stepped over the line. George laughed and quickly followed.

It only took a second for it to become obvious that their plan failed. Neither Fred nor George got a chance to put their names into the Goblet of Fire. Both were suddenly thrown backwards out of the ring, landing several feet away on their backs. As they sat up, there was a loud pop and suddenly both of them had long, white beards that could rival Dumbledore's.

And speaking of Dumbledore, he was suddenly standing at the door to the Great Hall as the crowd had begun laughing. He grinned at Fred and George, who were getting to their feet with Lee's help.

"I did warn you," Dumbledore said, sounding quite amused, "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

Elizabeth giggled hard, watching as Fred and George hurried upstairs, their friend following them and laughing harder than anyone. They passed Hermione on the way, who gave them a confused look as she made her way over with a tin in her hands.

"What was that about?" she asked, taking the toast Elizabeth offered.

"Fred and George thought they'd age themselves up with an Aging Potion," Elizabeth said as they headed for the door.

"I can't believe they thought that would work," Hermione shook her head.

They started off across the grounds, and could see in the distance the Beauxbatons students were starting off towards the castle, chattering away and as they got closer, Elizabeth saw they were each holding pieces of parchment.

"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron asked, and Elizabeth noticed his gaze following the tall blond who'd attracted so much attention the night before. Hermione started glaring at him.

"They'll probably stay," Elizabeth said, "I mean, Madam Maxime is staying, right? And their champion will need someone to cheer them on."

They made their way on down to Hagrid's hut, a familiar sight along the school grounds on the edge of the forest. As Harry knocked on the door, Elizabeth could instantly hear Hagrid's big dog Fang barking inside.

"'bout time!" Hagrid was at the door instantly, "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"

Elizabeth could only stare. Hagrid looked nothing like Elizabeth had ever seen him before. He was dressed in his horrid fur suit, the one he'd taken with him for Buckbeak the hippogriff's trial the year before. But he'd apparently also tried to tame his bushy hair. Elizabeth had always figured the hair was unmanageable to the extreme. That was always her image of Hagrid. Large, wild hair, and thick beard, but one of the sweetest men she'd ever met.

But now he seemed to have tried to slick his hair down and it looked as if it were made of plastic now. It wasn't exactly Hagrid anymore.

"Erm...Where are the skrewts?" Hermione asked after a moment.

"Out by the pumpkin patch," Hagrid said with a grin, "They're gettin' massive, mus' be near three foot long by now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."

"They are?" Elizabeth asked slowly.

They made their way into the hut and took spots in the oversized seats.

"Yeah," Hagrid said with a sigh as he started up some tea, "S' okay, though, I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."

"Well, that's lucky," Ron said sarcastically. Elizabeth gave her friends a look of pity. Stories like this made her glad she'd decided not to take Care of Magical Creatures.

As they all got their cups of tea, the conversation was quickly turned to what everyone talked out: The Triwizard Tournament.

"You wait," Hagrid said with a note of excitement, "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task...ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."

"You can't say something like that!" Elizabeth said, "Now we'll want to know even more!"

"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," Hagrid said, "But it's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh that. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out."

"But we're too young to be champions," Elizabeth said "Why would it matter if we know or not?"

"You ain't gettin' anythin' from me," Hagrid said with a grin, "Yeh'll see soon enough."

No matter how much try tried, they couldn't get anything out of Hagrid. Still, they spent the entire day at Hagrid's hut. It was nice getting to spend time with Hagrid again. If there was one thing Elizabeth thought would make Care of Magical Creatures worth it, it would be the time with Hagrid. At least, until she thought about the stories Harry, Ron, and Hermione told and she decided she was better off without.

Though Elizabeth did wish she didn't have to be there for Hagrid and Hermione's argument over S.P.E.W. He seemed in the same mind as others. House elves enjoyed their work, and it would be a shame to take them away from that. Hermione was extremely put out as she finally put away her tin of badges when it was time to head to dinner.

"We should get going," Elizabeth said as five o'clock drew nearer, "Dinner will start soon and I want to see who our champion will be."

"I'll come with yeh," Hagrid said as he got to his feet, "Jus' give me a sec."

Elizabeth got up from her chair, grabbing her robes she'd laid over the arm of the chair in the warmth of Hagrid's hut. It was beginning to rain lightly outside, and Elizabeth knew there'd be a chill in the air. She'd just finished pulling her robes on when a strong smell filled the hut, one that made Elizabeth and her friends gag in disgust.

"What _is_ that?" Ron asked between coughs.

"Er...eau de cologne," Hagrid said slowly, holding up a bottle, "Maybe it's a bit much. I'll go take it off, hang on..."

Hagrid disappeared out the door, and after a second, they could see him through the window washing his face.

"Eau de cologne? _Hagrid_?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"And what's with the hair and the suit?" Harry asked.

"Look!" Ron said, pointing across the grounds of Hogwarts. Elizabeth moved closer to the window and saw Hagrid was starting off across the grounds without them—straight for the Beauxbatons carriage, where the students and their headmistress were coming out to head for dinner. Hagrid waved towards Madame Maxime and immediately seemed to try and start a conversation with her.

Elizabeth giggled, clamping her hands over her mouth. Suddenly, the suit, slicked hair, and trying to use cologne made sense.

"He _fancies_ her!" she said almost giddily, "Hagrid fancies Madame Maxime!"

"Bet any children they have would weigh a ton," Ron said, starting out the door towards the castle, "They'd set a record."

Elizabeth tolled her eyes and pulled her robes tighter around her as they headed across the wet grounds. Luckily, the rain was very light—nearly more a mist than rain.

It was immediately clear when they reached the castle and headed into the Great Hall that the entire school was eager for the news of who would be champion. Elizabeth had never seen the place so crowded so early. Of course, it might also be because of the couple dozen extra students from two other schools.

"See you in the morning," Elizabeth gave her friends a wave before heading over to the Hufflepuff table. As usual, she took her spot next to Hannah and Susan.

"It's got to be Cedric," Ernie was saying, "Everyone always talks about how brave Gryffindors are and smart Ravenclaws are. Slytherins are just trouble. We've been overlooked way too long!"

As Elizabeth fixed herself a plate of food, she couldn't help but wonder how long Ernie had been practiced his little speech. Ernie was one of her close friends, but he had a bad habit of turning things into an excuse to make a rallying speech.

Elizabeth, as well as the other Hufflepuffs, clearly agreed with Ernie this time, however. Even Elizabeth, who was friends with Harry Potter, was often misjudged of being in Gryffindor simply because of her friendship with The Boy Who Lived. It would be nice to get some recognition for a change.

Dinner that night seemed to drag on. Not even the usual Halloween decorations of floating jack-o-lanterns and live bats seemed to be enjoyed as much as usual. Conversations circled the same topics they had all day, and every face kept turning towards the staff table to check how much longer they had.

Nearby, Lewis was constantly telling Cedric that he had nothing to worry about, that his name would be the one coming out of the goblet. There was no one more worthy of being Hogwarts champion. Elizabeth hoped her brother was right.

When the dessert was over and plates cleared, Elizabeth let out a sigh. She'd barely eaten anything, far too excited about what was coming after dinner. Instantly, the Great Hall fell into a silence Elizabeth had never felt before at her school, every face focused on the flaming goblet on the staff table.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," Dumbledore announced, rising to his feet, "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them to please come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber where they will be receiving their first instructions."

Dumbledore motioned towards the side room nearby as he spoke, before turning his attention back to the Goblet of Fire.

It was so quiet in the Great Hall, everyone sitting so tense, that Elizabeth was sure no one was breathing. Every eye was on the fire of the goblet, waiting. Elizabeth stole a glance to Cedric, who was tense and looking nervous. He was staring hard at the Goblet of Fire, as if thinking hard enough would make his name come out of the flames.

Elizabeth turned back to the staff table just in time to see the flames in the goblet turn red and give off sparks. The flames shout higher, and as they fell, a piece of parchment was left in the air. Elizabeth's breath caught, watching every moment as Dumbledore snatched up the parchment while the flames returned to their usual blue.

"The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum!" Dumbledore called.

Elizabeth clapped with everyone else, not that surprised an international star like Krum would be competing in the tournament. She watched as Krum made his way from the end of the Slytherin table on towards the side room off the Great Hall. Once the clapping died down, everyone turned back to the goblet. As if sensing their attention, it suddenly turned red and spat out sparks and a new piece of parchment, which Dumbledore snatched instantly.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"

The tall blonde who seemed to attract so much attention rose to her feet with a smile and started for the table. Elizabeth clapped, trying to ignore the fact that the men were cheering far louder and some even let out whistles. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at that.

Fleur disappeared through the door behind the staff table and the Great Hall grew quiet again. Elizabeth tensed, staring at the Goblet of Fire. This was the moment they were all waiting for...The Hogwarts champion...

The flames went red. Elizabeth went tense, her gaze following the fluttering parchment. As Dumbledore caught it, Elizabeth held her breath and crossed her fingers...

"The Hogwarts Champion," Dumbledore caused, pausing to look up, "Is Cedric Diggory!"

Elizabeth screamed in surprise and delight, leaping to her feet. She was hugged suddenly by Hannah next to her, and she was happy to hug back, both girls jumping up and down. They weren't the only ones screaming and cheering. The entire Hufflepuff table was on their feet, it seemed. Lewis was laughing, patting his friend on the back and giving Cedric a shove towards the staff table.

Cedric was grinning brighter than Elizabeth had ever seen before, and Elizabeth cheered and clapped as he went by. Cedric was their champion! For the first time, Hufflepuff would be the name came to mind with a representation of Hogwarts and its students. Elizabeth was beside herself with excitement. They were finally getting their chance in the spotlight!

Dumbledore waved for silence, but the Hufflepuffs were in no mood to stop screaming and cheering. It was several minutes before they all died down. Elizabeth's face hurt from grinning. Her throat hurt from screaming. Her hands hurt from clapping. Her feet hurt from jumping around. And she didn't care about any of it.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called finally once the last Hufflepuff resumed his seat, "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real—"

The Goblet of Fire had turned red again. Elizabeth suddenly felt her stomach tying into knots. Even without her getting her gut feelings, she knew a fourth time of red flames was not a good thing.

A piece of parchment shot from the flames. Dumbledore caught it, though this time with a look of confusion. He stood there silently, staring at the parchment in his hands. The sick feeling in Elizabeth's stomach just seemed to knot up more...

Then, slowly, Dumbledore said the one name Elizabeth had never expected to hear announced as champion, and she felt like she would be sick for an entirely different reason:

"_Harry Potter._"


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_**Chapter Fourteen:**_

They should have been celebrating. When Cedric's name had come out of the Goblet of Fire, the entire Hufflepuff House was ecstatic. They should be enjoying themselves in the common room, celebrating Hufflepuff finally getting some fame. Instead, everyone was sitting around in the common room, stewing over the fact that Harry had been made a Triwizard Champion as well.

"This was supposed to be _our_ chance!" Lewis fumed, glaring at the fireplace nearby, "Hufflepuff was finally getting a chance to show our worth! Then Potter had to trick the Goblet of Fire into accepting his name too!"

Elizabeth made a slight face. She knew Harry far too well to think he tried to enter the tournament. Sure, they got into the dangerous situations a lot, but it was because they thought it was necessary. Entering a tournament just for glory and money? That wasn't Harry. But in a room full of angry Hufflepuffs, Elizabeth knew better than to say that out loud.

"You were with him all day, Liz," Lewis turned to Elizabeth where she was sitting by Sally-Anne on one of the overstuffed couches, "Did he tell you he was doing this?"

"No," Elizabeth said, fighting the urge to say that Harry hadn't done anything.

"Why would Potter tell Elizabeth anything?" Ernie asked, "She's one of us. He had to know she'd be cheering for Cedric, not him!"

Elizabeth chewed on the inside of her cheek. Of course she was going to root for Cedric. But Harry was her friend. One of her _best_ friends. How could she just turn her back on him? But supporting him would probably mean turning her back on her House...

Elizabeth needed some time alone. She pushed herself to her feet, leaving her Housemates behind to argue over Harry and how he could even think to undermine others. She went off to the dormitories, heading for the familiarity of the room she shared with four others. And thankfully, it was empty.

She immediately flopped down on her bed, still fully clothed, and sighed. She immediately buried her face into her pillow, only to remember that her glasses were still on so they pressed into her face painfully, but she didn't move. Why was this happening? And why, when anything was happening, it always seemed to happen to Harry?

Something pressed against the back of Elizabeth's head and she lifted up enough to see Cream had jumped onto the bed and was now headbutting Elizabeth for attention. Elizabeth reached up slowly, scratching her cat behind the ears.

"Been a crazy night, hasn't it?" she whispered. She noticed her school bag laying on her nightstand. A little mirror was down in the bottom of that bag...One connected to Harry...

She couldn't imagine what he had to be going through right now. Slowly, she sat up and dug the mirror out, holding it in her hand and staring down at it. It was black now, but most likely because it was in Harry's bag in his own common room. Would he even be back in there now?

"Harry?" she asked softly, watching for any sign of movement. But there was nothing. Harry must not have been back in his room yet...

Elizabeth frowned, putting the mirror away and laying back on her bed, Cream curling up against her. What was she supposed to do? Harry was her best friend. She couldn't just turn her back on him. But she was a Hufflepuff. Her House had finally had a chance to be represented, just to be overshadowed yet again. She could understand why the rest of her House would be angry. And honestly, she was a bit too. But she _knew_ Harry better than any of them did. She _knew_ he'd never do this. And she couldn't get mad at him for being thrown into a situation against his will.

Things were not better the next morning. The entire Hufflepuff house seemed to be in a bad mood, and as they all sat to breakfast, Oliver was complaining about how the one time they get a chance to stand out, Harry steals it from them. Elizabeth stayed quiet, glancing towards the Gryffindor table. She could see Hermione and Ron, but Harry wasn't with them. Maybe he was still asleep?

Elizabeth watched as Hermione and Ron seemed to argue over something before Hermione got to her feet, grabbed several pieces of toast, and started for the doors. Without thinking, Elizabeth got up as well. She headed off, catching up to Hermione on the stairs the the grand staircase.

"How's Harry?" she asked and Hermione sighed.

"I don't know, I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet," she said, looking to Elizabeth, "You do know he can't have put his name in that goblet, right?"

Elizabeth could hear the suspicion in her voice. Honestly, it made her a bit angry. Couldn't her friends just trust her?

"Of course I know that," she said irritably, "I think after three years, I know Harry well enough to think he wouldn't do this willingly."

"I'm sorry," Hermione gave a sigh, shaking her head, "It's just Ron's...Well, he's not taking it well. And I can't imagine it for you. You're a Hufflepuff, and with Cedric..."

"So I can't support both?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not saying that!" Hermione insisted, "Please, I don't want to get in a fight. Can't we just go make sure Harry is okay?"

Elizabeth was the one to sigh this time.

"Sorry," she said, "It's just hard to believe all this is happening."

"I know," Hermione said.

The two were quiet the rest of the walk until they reached the seventh floor, where they'd made it to a portrait of a heavyset woman in a pink dress—the painting that hid away the Gryffindor common room.

Elizabeth stepped back so Hermione could head in, but he hadn't even been able to give the password when the portrait swung open and Harry was standing there.

"Oh, hello," Hermione said, surprised. Though she regained herself and held up the toast she was carrying. "I brought you this...Want to go for a walk?"

Harry's face went from surprise to relief and he took the toast with a nod. Though the surprise returned when he noticed Elizabeth. She fidgeted a little, hoping he, at least, trusted her to be on his side.

"What exactly happened last night?" Elizabeth asked as they started down the stairs.

"Dumbledore and Professor Moody believe someone did this to get me out of the way," Harry said slowly, "Professor Moody said there is no way a student could trick the Goblet into thinking there was a fourth school. But they have no idea who did it. Just someone got my name into the Goblet, and now I'm magically bound to compete. But I swear it wasn't me."

"Well, of course I knew you hadn't entered yourself," Hermione said as they exited the castle and started for the lake nearby. The morning was chilly and Elizabeth tightened her robes around her. But it wasn't just the chilly air. It was what Harry had said. It seemed like someone specifically singled out Harry...

"The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name!" Hermione went on, "But the question is, who did put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry...I don't think any student could have done it...They'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Dumbledore's—"

"Have you seen Ron?" Harry cut in. Elizabeth glanced over at him.

"Erm...yes," Hermione said slowly, "He was at breakfast."

"Does he still think I entered myself?"

"Well...no, I don't think so...not _really_."

"What's that supposed to mean, 'not really'?"

"It's jealousy," Elizabeth spoke up, "And honestly, you can't blame him for it."

"What?" Harry stopped at the edge of the lake and spun on Elizabeth. She felt her face grow warm at the glare and she fidgeted again.

"It's just...well...everything happens to you, doesn't it?"

"I don't ask for it!" Harry snapped.

"And we know you don't!" Hermione said, "We know that! But...well, you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous—he's always been shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time too many..."

"And you can't blame him for being upset," Elizabeth said, "I mean, I know exactly how he feels—"

"Oh, do you?" Harry snapped, "So why aren't you out there ignoring me?"

Elizabeth tensed, feeling her face flush again and she straightened herself some.

"Harry, I'm _trying_ to explain myself," she said, "Please, will you just listen?"

Harry didn't say anything, though Elizabeth could tell by his face that he was still angry.

"Just...You always get the attention, Harry," she said softly, "We're always shoved to the side. Do you know how many times I've had to defend that I'm actually a Hufflepuff? People always think I have to be in Gryffindor because we're friends, because of what we get up to—"

"It's not my fault they're so dense," Harry snapped.

"I know that!" Elizabeth's voice rose a little, "Will you just _listen_? I know you can't control how others react, but it doesn't change the fact that it happens. My entire House should have been celebrating last night. We finally had a chance to stand out. And then—"

"And then I stole your glory?" Harry hissed. Elizabeth felt her face flushing more. She took a deep breath and found herself glaring. She was trying to explain herself, but all Harry wanted to do was argue.

"Please, will you two stop?" Hermione asked, but Harry waved her off, watching Elizabeth.

"Is that what you're saying?" he snapped, "I overshadow everyone, right? Ron has every right to hate me, right? So do you, actually—"

"I _don't_ hate you!" Elizabeth said loudly, "I'm just saying that it's completely understandable—"

"To turn your back on me because of something outside of my control?"

"—to be jealous of you!" Elizabeth said, "To hate a _situation_!"

"Then why aren't you turning your back on me like Ron?"

"If that's what you want, fine!" Elizabeth snapped. If Harry wasn't even going to listen to her, not even going to accept her trying to be a friend, then maybe she shouldn't be trying. Last night, she was struggling with the idea of being stuck in the middle between two friends, but Harry seemed to be making the decision easy now.

Elizabeth didn't think. She turned on her heel and marched towards the castle doors, ignoring Hermione calling after her. Elizabeth didn't really care right now. She just needed to get some time alone.

Unfortunately, that didn't get to happen. As soon as Elizabeth came into the entrance hall, she found herself face to face with a group of Beauxbatons students. Most gave her odd looks, and Elizabeth ducked her head, hurrying past. She'd barely made it to the stairs, however, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit and spun around to see one of the Beauxbatons boys had separated from his friends and come over to her.

"Is somezing ze matter?" he asked, "You just look...upset."

"I'm fine," Elizabeth said, forcing herself to grin, "I just...Got into a fight with a friend, it's okay."

She wasn't all that sure she like the idea of sharing her personal problems with a stranger. Even if he did have a friendly sort of face and did look genuinely concerned.

"Are you sure?" the boy asked, "A fight with a friend iz not 'okay'."

"I'm fine," Elizabeth said, "But...Thanks."

The boy nodded, grinning a little, then held out his hand.

"I'm Alain," he said, "Alain Pelland. A pleasure to meet you."

"Elizabeth Martin," Elizabeth said, shaking the boy's hand, "And really, I'm fine. But thank you, I appreciate it."

Alain nodded.

"I will see you around, oui?" he asked, which surprised Elizabeth.

"Um...sure, yeah," she said, unsure what else to say. She doubted she'd see much of the Beauxbatons students, but it was still a polite thing to say, "Um, I have to get going. It was nice meeting you."

Alain gave Elizabeth a grin before some of his fellow students called for him and he turned, heading off back across the entrance hall. Elizabeth found herself standing there at the foot of the stairs, just watching after him. She had to admit, she wasn't exactly expecting to talk to any of the foreign students. If anything, because they were all several years older than her. But it was nice to know at least one of them could be a nice guy.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_**Chapter Fifteen:**_

It wasn't until the next day that the full impact of what Elizabeth's fight with Harry would do to their friendship sank in. Elizabeth remembered that she had Herbology that morning. A class she usually spent with Harry, Ron, and Hermione since it was her only class with the Gryffindors.

As Elizabeth walked into Herbology with her fellow Hufflepuffs, she glanced over to where Hermione and Harry were sitting—Ron was several seats away with Dean Thomas. Though when Harry glanced up, Elizabeth immediately looked away, a bit of guilt worming into her stomach. But at the thought of the argument the day before, the way Harry kept going at her for defending Ron and trying to explain things, Elizabeth's guilt went away and she walked towards the opposite end of the classroom and sat with Hannah, Susan, and Sally-Anne.

Elizabeth found herself adjusting to things surprisingly easy. She had been used to once classes were over, she'd meet up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione to hang out for a few hours before curfew. Now, however, she was staying with the Hufflepuffs and she had to admit, it was fun spending more time with Susan and Hannah—and Lewis and Cedric, mainly because Susan wanted to spend time with Lewis. Elizabeth had a strong feeling the two were going to end up dating soon.

She still wasn't all that sure how she felt about that.

Once Elizabeth got through the first day, things almost felt normal. Maybe it was because it became some sort of unspoken rule not to talk about Harry and him being a champion. Cedric was the champion they were unanimously going to support, as far as they were concerned. And Elizabeth was fine with putting things out of sight, out of mind as it were. Her only issue was Monday morning when she was faced with Harry and had to pretend not to notice him.

At least, that was her only issue until one afternoon a couple of weeks into November. They had a break between their last class and before lunch, so Elizabeth was out in a courtyard with Hannah, Justin, and Ernie—Susan had 'mysteriously' disappeared shortly after Lewis and Cedric had come through earlier. The four were chatting and talking Quidditch as usual when Sally-Anne and Roger came hurrying over, both grinning.

"We've got something for all of you," Roger said, digging into his school bag. After a moment, he pulled out a handful of badges and held them out. Elizabeth leaned forward, half expecting to see 'S.P.E.W.' on them—which gave her a small pang of guilt over how her distance from Harry also meant staying away from Hermione—but instead were the words:

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY

THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION

"Wicked," Justin said, grabbing one of the badges as Roger and Sally-Anne passed them out, "Where did you get these?"

"Some students have just been handing them out," Sally-Anne said, "I don't know who created them first."

Elizabeth took her own badge with a grin. What better way to support her friend in the competition? She was just about to pin hers to her robes when there was a flicker, and the badge in her hand suddenly changed to read "POTTER STINKS".

The other Hufflepuffs laughed, but Elizabeth felt as if she'd been punched in the gut as she stared at the badge.

"Elizabeth? Are you okay?"

Elizabeth jerked her head up to see Hannah giving her a concerned look and she forced herself to give a grin as she stood up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, "I just realized I think I left my Potion book in the library after lunch, and I have that essay to finish...I'll see you at dinner."

Elizabeth turned and headed off before her friends could say anything. She moved quickly, heading off across the grounds. Over the past two weeks, she'd been mostly able to ignore what had happened with Harry. She'd been distracted. She hadn't had to really focus on what happened and the consequences of it. Now, she had it staring her in the face. The badge in her hands, the words "POTTER STINKS" taunting her, reminding her of the fact that she'd turned her back on her best friend...

Elizabeth gripped the badge tightly in her hand, then flung it as hard as she could at the lake in front of her. She watched as it hit the water with a soft 'plop' and she felt a small bit of satisfaction. That was, until a long tentacle came out of the water and flung the badge back towards the shore. Elizabeth glared as the badge hit the ground right in front of her feet. Obviously, the giant squid didn't appreciate littering.

"Eleezabet?"

Elizabeth gave a small jump and spun around—then suddenly felt heat rush to her face as she realized the Beauxbatons boy from a couple of weeks ago had been behind her.

"Oh...Um...hi," Elizabeth managed awkwardly, looking over the boy's shoulder to avoid looking directly at him, "Um...Alain, right?"

"Oui," Alain gave a nod, and even though Elizabeth wasn't looking directly at him, she could see the concerned look on his face, "Iz somezing ze matter?"

Elizabeth almost said no, but she hesitated. Maybe she needed to talk to someone...And she knew she couldn't talk to any of her fellow Hufflepuffs. They'd probably be like Harry and think she was betraying them. Alain here wasn't on either side...Maybe it could be good to get this all out. Elizabeth gave a sigh and shook her head.

"I just don't know what to do," she said, "I told you before I got into a fight with my friend? Well, he's..." She hesitated for a moment. "He's Harry Potter."

Elizabeth watched as Alain's eyes widened in recognition. She fidgeted a little. That was usually the reaction she got to saying she was friends with Harry. That, and asking if she can introduce them. Or if he's anything like the books say he was. Or—

"What was ze fight about?"

That wasn't what Elizabeth had expected. She could tell Alain wanted to ask about Harry, but he was holding it back to be a lending ear...Elizabeth almost laughed. Alain would have been perfect as a Hufflepuff.

"The tournament, really," she said, "See, I'm in Hufflepuff, the House Cedric Diggory is from. Actually, my brother is one of his best friends. So I'm really close to both..."

"And you fought over who to support?" Alain guessed.

"Partly?" Elizabeth said unsurely, "Well, not fully..."

Elizabeth gave a sigh, then launched into an explanation of what happened. As she spoke, she sat down on the grass and stared out at the lake, letting everything out. How she knew Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire, about Ron being jealous and not speaking to Harry. How she had tried to explain she understood how Ron felt, and how her being a Hufflepuff meant she couldn't help but feel the same way, that Harry had gotten angry at her as well. She explained how she'd gotten frustrated and just left, and hadn't spoken to Harry since. And how she couldn't exactly talk to anyone about this, since most all her friends were in Hufflepuff and expected her to back Cedric.

"Unfortunately, I do not have any idea 'ow to 'elp," Alain said with a sigh, shaking his head once Elizabeth fell quiet, "You 'ave a big problem on your hands."

Elizabeth snorted. She didn't need Alain to tell her that.

"I just wish I knew what to do," she said, "I mean, I can't exactly talk to Harry...I'm sure he's avoiding me as much as I'm avoiding him. Hermione's tried to get us to talk, but I'm always with some other Hufflepuffs and they always pull me off. I just know I'm trapped in the middle here. On one side are my fellow Hufflepuffs, and my loyalty to all my friends there...But Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been my closest friends for years. I miss them."

"Why must you choose one side?" Alain asked, "Can you not support both friends?"

Elizabeth gave Alain a strange look. How much of an idealist was this guy?

"That's not how life works, you know," she said, "Wish it was. I'd love to be able to snap my fingers and make this go away."

"I wish I could help," Alain said with a shrug, frowning out towards the water, "I've never been good with advice."

"You let me air everything out, that's good enough," Elizabeth said. She looked to the water herself and realized the grounds were being bathed in a reddish-gold light of a coming sunset. She quickly looked to her watch and realized they'd talked straight through dinner...

"Oh, I should get to the castle before it gets dark..." Elizabeth said slowly, glancing to Alain, "I'm sorry I held you up."

"Do not worry," Alain said with a shrug, "You can make it up to me tomorrow by doing a favor."

Elizabeth frowned a bit, watching Alain closely.

"What do you need?" She asked cautiously.

"Directions to your owlery," Alain gave a sheepish grin, "I need to mail a letter, but I 'ave not learned where it iz."

Elizabeth laughed a little, shaking her head. Alain was a very strange guy. How could anyone bee this optimistic and nice?

"I can do that, yeah," she said, "Meet me in the entrance hall after breakfast and I'll take you there. It can be a bit confusing the first time. I'll show you the best long-distance owls to use, too."

"You don't have to do that, but merci," Alain said, "I should get back to the carriage. I will see you in the morning?"

Elizabeth nodded and bade Alain good night before heading back up to the castle alone in the evening glow. After talking to Alain, she felt a little better, but there was still the problem of Harry. As much as she wished Alain was right and Elizabeth could just stay in the middle and support both, she knew that wasn't something that could happen. She was going to have to take a side. And unfortunately, it seemed like Harry wasn't giving her any choice in which side to take...Elizabeth hated it.

She made the familiar turn down to the basement corridor her common room was on, still lost in thought. In fact, she didn't even realize there was a bit of a commotion in the common room until she nearly walked into Hannah.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked, glancing at the crowd around the bulletin board.

"First Hogsmeade trip, this weekend," Hannah said with a grin as Ernie came out from the crowd around the board.

"How about the three of us go together?" Ernie asked, "There's still some places I haven't gotten to see, like the Shrieking Shack."

Elizabeth grinned to herself, thinking about the year before when she and her friends had discovered the truth behind the supposedly haunted building on the edge of Hogsmeade—But at the thought of Harry and the others, Elizabeth's little moment of amusement was shot down fast. She shook it away, trying to ignore it.

"Sounds good," she said, then as an idea came to her, "Mind if we have one more? I met a Beauxbatons student to helped me out earlier, it'd be nice to repay him. We can all show him around Hogsmeade."

"Sounds great! Invite him along!" Hannah grinned brightly, "I can't wait. It'll be really nice to get out of the castle for a while, won't it?"

"Yeah, it will," Elizabeth said. With everything going on, she really did need a break. Hopefully this next week would be better than the past two.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_**Chapter Sixteen:**_

"Lewis and I are going on a date!"

Elizabeth choked on her toast as Susan sat across from her at the table the next morning in the Great Hall. She'd been hungrier than usual after accidently skipping dinner the night before and had been eating a bit too quickly. An announcement that one of her friends was going on a date with her brother—no matter how much she'd been expecting it coming—was not was Elizabeth had wanted to hear at that moment.

"You are?" Elizabeth finally asked once she'd settled her cough. Susan was still grinning brightly. Elizabeth was happy for Susan, in a way. But the idea of her friend dating her brother was still just...weird.

"He just asked me," she said, "We're going to go to Hogsmeade together, just the two of us."

"Cedric isn't going?" Ernie asked to Elizabeth's left.

"No, he's wanting to take the time to practice his jinxes and all for the first task," Elizabeth answered, remembering Lewis and Cedric's conversation the night before, "People are often crowding him so he hasn't had much time for that lately."

"We all know he's going to win anyway," Sally-Anne said, "He's the real Champion of Hogwarts after all!"

The Hufflepuffs cheered in agreement and Elizabeth just gave a small grin, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder to the Gryffindor table behind her. It had been really sinking in since the afternoon before that she did miss her friends. A lot. But there wasn't any way to repair the relationship, as far as she knew.

Hundreds of owls swept into the Great Hall from above and Elizabeth was hoping morning mail would be a distraction. Unfortunately, she was wrong. She just needed to see the cover of the _Daily Prophet_ to know that.

"Will you look at _this_?" Hannah asked angrily, slamming down her copy of the paper. Elizabeth jumped a little. Hannah didn't get angry. Elizabeth didn't even know the blonde _could_ be angry. But here she was, glaring at a newspaper.

And it was instantly obvious why. The front page of the paper held a large picture of Harry, and large letters formed the headline above it:

**TRIWIZARD SURPRISE:**

**THE BOY WHO LIVED NAMED CHAMPION**

"Of _course_ the article would end up being completely about him," Susan hissed, "Cedric said that when they were doing photos for the paper, they seemed far more interested in Potter than the rest of them."

"Are the other champions mentioned?" Justin asked and Hannah skimmed through the story.

"It's all a life story about Potter," she said, slowly getting to the end, "Oh, wait, here..._'Harry Potter will be joined in the Triwizard Tournament by Florica Delcove of Beauxbatons and Virgil Krane of Durmstrang.'_ They didn't even bother to get their names right! Or mention Cedric!"

Elizabeth pulled the paper closer as the others fumed over the injustices of the article. She was as angry as them, glaring at the words on the paper. She had hoped when the article on the Triwizard Tournament came out, Cedric at least would get some attention. After all, Harry was not the only Hogwarts Champion. But all the paper seemed to care about what Harry. The famous Harry Potter in the limelight again.

Though there was one passage that stuck out to Elizabeth more than the others, and she seemed to find herself fixated on the few sentences of the article:

_Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school._

Elizabeth knew this wasn't true. Well, about them dating. Hermione was incredibly smart. But she'd never known Harry or Hermione to be remotely interested in each other romantically. What was the point of pulling Hermione into all this? Of course, this was an article by Rita Skeeter. Everything she wrote had to be taken with a grain of salt.

But sometimes her writings did have a base in fact. What if this was one of those times? After all, Elizabeth hadn't talked to Harry or Hermione for the past two weeks. Harry had been spending a lot more time around her lately than anyone else...

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder finally. She could see Harry glaring at a copy of the newspaper, and Hermione was leaning close, trying to take the paper from him and whispering something. What if something had happened between them in the past two weeks? What if Elizabeth alienating herself from them had been the reason why?

"Elizabeth? Are you okay?"

Elizabeth turned quickly to see Ernie watching her carefully. She gave him a grin as she pushed the paper away.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. And she was. Why should she care if Harry was dating Hermione? It'd be good for him. Maybe he finally got over his infatuation with Cho Chang. Maybe she was worrying simply because of the same reason she wasn't too sure about the idea of Susan and Lewis dating. She just didn't feel comfortable with the idea of friends dating. Maybe this would just push her further out...

"Anyway, I have to go," Elizabeth tried to shove the thoughts away as she stood up, "I promised Alain I'd show him to the owlery, and I have to ask if he wants to come to Hogsmeade with us next weekend."

Elizabeth assured her friends, yet again, that she was fine and headed towards the entrance hall. Alain was already there, waiting, and once he saw Elizabeth, he grinned at her.

"Bonjour, Eleezabet," Alain greeted.

"Morning. Ready to find the owlery?"

"Oui," Alain held up a letter, which Elizabeth noticed was addressed to someone named Didiane Dastrous.

"Who's she?"

"Didi?" Alain grinned as the two started out to the grounds, "She iz my girlfriend. I promised to write 'er about ze tournament as she wasn't allowed to come. Sixth Years 'ave O.W.L.s, so zey were not allowed to participate."

"We take our O.W.L.s in our fifth year," Elizabeth said, finding herself wondering what Didiane was like. Most likely someone as unbelievably nice as her boyfriend was.

"I know the chances of you meeting her are slim," Alain said, "But if you do...Do not tell 'er I told you 'er nickname. She hates that I call her Didi."

Elizabeth giggled a little.

"I can see why," she said, "Didi does sound a little...young, like for a child or something."

"Zat is exactly why she hates t, so of course I have to keep using it."

Elizabeth shook her head, laughing again. Alain really did just seem like a normal guy. Somehow, Elizabeth had gotten the idea that people from other countries had to live so differently simply because they were foreign. But Alain was just as normal as any of Elizabeth's friends.

"Listen, Alain," Elizabeth said, "Have you heard about the town near here, Hogsmeade?"

"Oui, Madam Maxime told us before we came," Alain replied, "We 'ave permission to visit on your 'ogsmeade weekends eef we like."

"Good! Because I'm going with two of my friends, Hannah and Ernie, next weekend. And we were wondering if you'd like to come with us."

"Come wiz you and your friends?" Alain asked.

Elizabeth nodded as they reached the owelry, greeted by the sounds of hundreds of owls coming for a rest after mail deliveries.

"We figured we'd give you a tour of the place and all," she said, "There's a lot there. Shops and restaurants, it's a nice place to get a break from the school."

"It does sound like a good idea," Alain said, nodding, "I'll come. Next weekend, oui?"

"Yeah, we'll meet after breakfast."

With the plan made, Elizabeth turned her attention to helping Alain pick out the best owl to send his letter to his girlfriend. It only took a few minutes before they settled on a large horned owl and it was sent out into the morning sky.

"I should probably 'ead back to ze carriage," Alain said, running a hand through his dark red hair.

"Actually, it's a weekend, I don't have classes," Elizabeth said, "Why don't I introduce you to Ernie and Hannah? We can show you around Hogwarts."

"Zat sounds nice," Alain grinned at Elizabeth, and the two headed off back towards the castle.

It didn't take long to find Hannah and Ernie, as they were in the library pretending to work on a History of Magic essay. Elizabeth introduced them to Alain and they both jumped at the chance to put away their schoolwork and give the Beauxbatons student a tour of their school.

It was a fun day for Elizabeth. She really enjoyed the time showing Alain around. She, Hannah, and Ernie made sure to point out the twists and turns of the castle, as well as advise him of certain steps that liked to disappear on students halfway up a staircase. They didn't tell him everything, of course. After all, Hogwarts was their home. They didn't want to give away every secret. Alain, in turn, told them a bit about Beauxbatons as well.

"It is a 'uge chateau," Alain was saying as they made their way along a seventh floor corridor, "It is only four floors, 'owever. We do not 'ave such a winding, confusing place. It is always airy and bright, and zere are very few rooms without views of the grounds or mountains."

"Oh, that sounds really wonderful," Hannah said with a sigh, "It must be great studying there."

"Oui, ze school is manifique," Alain paused to lean over the railing, staring down at the moving staircases and the empty air several floors below them, "'as anyone ever dropped somezing by accident on zese stairways? It must be 'ard, 'aving to go all ze way back down to retrieve it."

"I accidentally lost an inkwell once when it fell out of my bag," Ernie said, "It actually hit one of the stairways. There's still an ink stain in the stone there."

"And someone once pulled a prank where they dropped a bag of Dungbombs down the stairwell," Elizabeth added, though she had a sneaking suspicion that 'someone' had actually been two people by the name of Fred and George, "It splattered all over the floor...Poor Filch was cleaning for days, and the smell was horrible."

"We 'ad someone let loose a cage full of...I zink you call zem bowtruckles?" Alain paused, obviously trying to translate in his head, "Little tree spirits. Well, someone let a cage of zem loose one day. Zey were very annoying, trying to round zem up again. One 'ad taken over ze Flamel Fountain in ze courtyard and would not let anyone near."

"That must have been really hard for the staff to deal with," Hannah said, "I had to help my uncle clear one out of his yard once. The thing bit me. I actually still have a bit of a scar."

Hannah held up her right hand, showing a small, thin line along her index finger. Times like this were when Elizabeth was glad she wasn't taking Care of Magical Creatures. She could always just get someone else to deal with the dangerous creatures.

The school's large clock started chiming, announcing noon had come.

"We should get downstairs for lunch," Ernie said, "Want to eat with us at the Hufflepuff table, Alain?"

"Zat sounds nice," Alain replied as they started back down the stairs, "I would like to meet some of your 'ousemates."

"I'll introduce you to my brother," Elizabeth said, "You'd like him."

It didn't take long to reach the Great Hall, and Elizabeth was just about to head in when two people were coming out. She stepped back to let them pass, then froze.

For the first time in two weeks, she suddenly found herself standing face-to-face her friend that she hadn't spoken a word to in all that time: Harry.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_**Chapter Seventeen:**_

For a few seconds, Elizabeth and Harry just stared at each other. Then, Ernie cleared his throat and pushed passed, Hannah right behind. They stopped just inside the Great Hall, acting as if Harry wasn't standing feet away from them.

"Are you coming?" Ernie asked, watching Elizabeth and Alain.

Elizabeth pulled from her daze and looked to Ernie and Hannah, then sighed.

"I'll be there in just a minute, okay?" she asked.

Neither Hannah nor Ernie looked at all pleased, and both glared at Harry before heading on into the Great Hall. Elizabeth turned towards him to see him staring at her.

"Alain, can I have some time alone?" Elizabeth glanced towards the Beauxbatons boy with her. Alain nodded and headed off after Ernie and Hannah.

Once the others were gone, Elizabeth turned back to Harry, but neither of them said anything. They just stood there, both seeming to try avoid looking directly at the other. Elizabeth cleared her throat, fiddling with the sleeve of her dress as she tried to think of something to say. And only one thing was on her mind.

"I saw the _Daily Prophet_," she said slowly, "Skeeter is a piece of work, isn't she?"

Harry looked surprised, making eye contact with Elizabeth finally.

"You're not mad about her ignoring the champions?" he asked.

"Oh, I am," Elizabeth gave a sigh, "But I know it's not your fault. I've told you before I don't believe you're at fault here...It's just all of this..."

"I know," Harry was the one to sigh this time. Elizabeth nodded a little. Again, the two of them lapsed into an awkward silence.

"Do you have a minute?" Elizabeth asked, "We can...Take a walk. I just...I want to talk."

"Don't you have to get lunch?"

Elizabeth knew what Harry was really asking. It was about Hannah, Ernie, and Alain.

"I'll talk to them later," she said, "Come on."

Elizabeth and Harry made their way up the stairs in the entry way. A few students heading to and from lunch would glare at Harry as they passed and Harry seemed uncomfortable with each one.

"That article isn't helping things, is it?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," Harry said shortly, "It's only been a few hours but it's already made things worse."

"Skeeter is a horrible person," Elizabeth shook her head, "It's not your fault, Harry. But people aren't happy that Cedric wasn't even mentioned at all. Honestly, you can't blame them."

Harry muttered something under his breath and Elizabeth sighed.

"Harry, I'm _not_ against you, you know," Elizabeth insisted, "It's just this whole situation...It's..." Elizabeth sighed, stopping at a window and staring out over the grounds. She could see the Durmstrang ship anchored along the lake's shore and the Beauxbatons carriage near Hagrid's hut. She found herself wondering how things would be if the Triwizard Tournament wasn't being held...Harry wouldn't be in this mess, everything would be normal...Elizabeth wouldn't be stuck in the middle of whose loyalty she should hold to...

"It's like back in our second year," she finally said, "When everyone thought you were the Heir of Slytherin—"

"I've figured that much on my own, thanks," Harry said bitterly.

"Will you let me finish?" Elizabeth turned towards her friend, "I know none of this is your fault. It's a horrible situation, and I honestly don't know how you can handle it, I know I barely can myself."

"You're not the one who has the school turning on you," Harry snapped, "Or getting stories spread about you in the paper."

"But I have my entire House trying to get me to turn my back on my best friend," Elizabeth shot back, "And in case you forgot, Cedric is my friend, too. I'm trapped in this middle ground. I support Cedric, I have my House but turn my back on my best friend. I support you, I have my friend, but turn my back on my entire House and dozens more of my friends. And I can't just stay in the middle, because then I'm turning my back on _everyone_..."

Harry was quiet for a bit, staring out the window. Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with her dress sleeve. She was worried about what Harry would say, about if this was going to end up in another fight...

"Sometimes I forget what exactly it means that you're in Hufflepuff," Harry finally said, "I'm just so used to you always being around between classes, I can forget that you're in a different House."

"A lot of people seem to do that," Elizabeth muttered. She was always being mistaken for a Gryffindor, simply because she was Harry's friend. She sighed, looking at Harry fully. "Look, I don't like this at all. I miss spending time with you, and Hermione and Ron—"

Harry's gaze narrowed at Ron's name and Elizabeth frowned.

"He still won't talk to you?" she asked softly.

"No, and I don't really care," Harry said shortly, though Elizabeth could tell he was lying. She was willing to drop it, however. She watched Harry closely, for some reason finding herself thinking about the article again and the part about him and Hermione...The back of her mind was still reeling with the question of if that part might be true, but at the same time she didn't think she could bring herself to ask directly. She didn't know why...

"How's Hermione doing?" she asked instead, "I mean, that Skeeter woman pulled her into the lies as well..."

"You know Hermione, her response is to ignore it," Harry said with a shrug.

Elizabeth felt a small flutter of relief in her stomach. Harry didn't correct Elizabeth saying the article was a lie, when it involved Hermione. That meant Harry and Hermione weren't together. She already had Lewis and Susan going to be awkward around her. It was nice to know she wouldn't have to deal with it around Harry and Hermione, too.

"She's handling it better than I would," Elizabeth said, "I have no idea what to do."

The two were quiet for some time, just standing there in silence. Elizabeth almost felt like it was normal. As if nothing had happened. They were just two friends enjoying time with each other, watching the grounds from a window...

"Do you still have the mirror?" Harry asked. Elizabeth looked up at him.

"Yeah," she whispered, "It's in my bag."

"Good, then we can use that, right?" Harry gave Elizabeth a small grin. "We can still talk, and you don't have to let the Hufflepuffs know."

Elizabeth frowned a little. That sounded a lot like sneaking around, but she had to admit, she really missed spending time with Harry and the others...

"Okay," she said, "We'll do that. Set aside some time every night?"

Harry agreed, and the two quickly set up a time to try and speak with each other. Elizabeth would have to find some excuse to be off on her own at that time, but she was sure she could work it out. For now, however, she had something more important to ask.

"How are you holding up, anyway?" she asked, "I mean, I know it can't be easy."

"I'm fine," Harry said simply and Elizabeth sighed.

"You can talk to me, you know," she said, "I'm not going anywhere."

Harry was quiet, then shook his head, looking to Elizabeth.

"I don't know what else to say," he said, "You know everything already...Well, except that I wrote to Sirius about what happened. I got a letter back the other day. He wants me to meet him in the Gryffindor common room at night, the same day as our Hogsmeade visit."

Elizabeth felt a little sick at that thought. How was Sirius even going to get into the castle? Unfortunately, that seemed a thought Harry hadn't considered, given the look on his face when Elizabeth asked that question out loud.

"He's going to get himself caught because of me," Harry said with a groan, "Come on, I should write him, tell him to stay away..."

"Harry!" Elizabeth caught his arm, holding him back, "Wait. Sirius has to have some type of plan, right? He's evaded the Ministry this long, and they're not even watching Hogwarts for him anymore. He'll be fine."

Harry didn't seem that convinced, but he didn't go running off either. Elizabeth found herself wishing she hadn't said anything about Sirius. She sighed, looking back out the window nearby.

"You'll let me know how it goes, right?" Elizabeth asked softly.

"Of course," Harry turned to her, "He's wanting me to be there at one. If you're up, I can let you know after we've talked."

"You can just tell me in the morning after," Elizabeth said, "And Harry, are you sure you're okay?"

"Not really," Harry sighed, "I just wish I knew who did this. That it hadn't happened at all. I'd much rather still have my friends and be able to safely cheer on Diggory with everyone else."

"It always seems to happen to you, doesn't it?" Elizabeth asked, shaking her head, then looked to Harry, "I should get on back to the Great Hall. Can we talk tonight?"

"Of course," Harry said, nodding, "Maybe we can spend some time at Hogsmeade. Us and Hermione."

"I've...Already promised to go with Hannah and Ernie," Elizabeth said slowly, feeling herself blushing, "We're going to show Alain around...He's the Beauxbatons boy you saw us with."

"Oh, okay. Anyway, I'll talk to you tonight."

Harry turned, heading off down the hall and Elizabeth stared after him. She couldn't help but feel happier than she had in days. She was still stuck in the middle with her friends, but at least for now, she had her friendship with Harry back. That was enough.

**xxxxx**

The next week passed much more easily for Elizabeth than the past two. Elizabeth managed to get away after dinner by saying she wanted to work on her homework on her own, and would hide away in her bed to talk to Harry for a couple of hours. A couple of times, however, their talks were cut short when Elizabeth heard one of her roommates coming and she had to hide away the mirror quickly.

Still, it was nice to be back on good terms with Harry and Hermione. Elizabeth had been trying to ignore it, but just knowing she could talk to Harry made her feel a lot better. It was like a heavy weight was lifted from her, even if she and Harry had to be sneaky about talking to each other.

And Elizabeth had more to look forward to. A week later, the Hogsmeade visit came. She ate breakfast quickly with Ernie and Hannah before meeting Alain in the entrance hall, and soon the four were on their way along the path leading from Hogwarts to the nearby village of Hogsmeade.

"We don't 'ave a village near Beauxbatons to visit," Alain was saying, "But zere is zis park in France, magically protected to keep ze Muggles away. Once a year, all students, even ze first and second years, are allowed to visit. It is zis big festival, and we spend all day zere. It is always towards ze end of the school year, as summer is coming."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Hannah said, "But I like Hogsmeade just fine."

"Where do you want to go first, Alain?" Ernie asked, "There's the sweet shop, Honeyduke's. Zonko's, it's a joke shop—"

"Well, Didi's birthday is in a couple of weeks," Alain said, "I would like to get 'er somezing while we're 'ere."

Ernie didn't find the idea of shopping for someone else's girlfriend as an ideal way to spend his time, but Elizabeth and Hannah were far too happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Alain seemed to realize soon that he had made a mistake in asking two young women to help him find a gift for his girlfriend, for after an hour they had visited two different jewelry stores, and a perfume shop, but had little more than a gold band bracelet that Alain said Didiane would like. Hannah was insisting that Alain should send something with it, however, since the bracelet wasn't all that much and Alain was off in another country so 'this gift should have more thought to it'.

They finally settled on a stuffed dragon that Elizabeth picked out. She didn't know exactly why, but seeing the dragon just made something click in her head and she told Alain that it was a perfect choice to go with the bracelet. Alain seemed far too glad to have the gift finally picked, and Elizabeth overhead him whispering to Ernie that he was never going to make the mistake of asking a girl to help with shopping again.

"How about we head to Honeydukes next?" Ernie asked, "I'm wanting to get some more chocolate frogs."

"Oh, good idea," Elizabeth said, "I'd like some more pepper imps."

Spending the day in Hogsmeade was an amazing break. It was nice getting away from the castle, and just enjoying the fresh air with Hannah, Ernie, and Alain. Elizabeth and her friends spent the time pointing out the various shops and sights. Now that they weren't shopping for a gift, Alain and Ernie were enjoying themselves a lot more as well, and more often than not their conversations went from comparing their schools to talking Quidditch. They were just normal teenagers, enjoying a day out. Elizabeth didn't find herself thinking about the tournament once on the Hogsmeade trip. It was a day to be normal and forget about all the trouble that she'd gone through in the past few weeks. And Elizabeth enjoyed every second of it.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

_**Chapter Eighteen:**_

When Elizabeth met up with Harry and Hermione the next morning (telling her fellow Hufflepuffs she was going to the library to work on a Muggle Studies essay) she expected to find out how Harry's conversation with Sirius had went. What she didn't expect was Harry to tell her what he was going to have to face in the first task.

"_Dragons_?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief. She had to have heard Harry wrong. "You have to face dragons?"

"_A_ dragon," Harry said, "They have one for each of us."

"What are they thinking?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice down since they were hiding in the back corner of the library, "Dragons! Don't they realize how dangerous it all is?"

"I...I'm sure they're taking precautions," Elizabeth whispered, "I mean, they're making sure to avoid deaths this time. They have to have dragon wranglers to make sure things don't get out of hand..."

"I just have to face one down and hope not to get eaten," Harry grumbled, "Sirius said a simple spell would do it..."

"You did get to speak to Sirius, then," Elizabeth leaned closer across the table, "What did he say? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Harry whispered, "He broke into some wizard's house to use the fire, and talked to me through that. He said that Karkaroff was in Azkaban with him. He's a Death Eater."

Elizabeth felt sick at that, her eyes widening slightly.

"He's a Death Eater?" she whispered weakly, "How did he get out of Azkaban?"

"Apparently he sold out other Death Eaters to get a pardon," Harry said, "Sirius thinks maybe he put my name in the Goblet, wanting to kill me."

"Well, we can't worry about that right now," Hermione said, "Let's just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening, Harry. And then we and worry about Karkaroff."

Something dawned on Elizabeth and she suddenly pushed herself to her feet.

"I'll be back in a minute," she said, "I should tell Cedric about this."

"What?" Harry looked up in surprise.

"You said Madam Maxime and Karkaroff saw the dragons," Elizabeth said, "That means Fleur and Krum will know. Cedric needs to know too, doesn't he?"

"You're right," Harry said, nodding and getting up himself, "I'll come with you. I saw the dragons, I can help explain it."

"While you two are gone, I'll gather up some books on dragons," Hermione said, "We can start researching when you get back."

Elizabeth nodded and she and Harry left the library, where Elizabeth started to frown.

"I'm not actually sure where he'd be right now," she said, "Probably down in the common room..."

"Could you get him to come out for us to talk?"

"Yeah, if he's in there," Elizabeth said. She and Harry headed down the stairs, "Do you have the Marauders' Map on you?"

"No, it's up in my trunk," Harry said, "I didn't think I'd need it."

It turned out, luckily, they wouldn't need the map. Elizabeth and Harry had just started down the stairs from the second floor when they happened to run into Cedric coming up the same stairs. Cedric, needless to say, seemed a bit surprised to see Elizabeth and Harry together given as far as anyone knew, they still weren't talking to each other.

"Um, hey Cedric," Elizabeth gave an awkward grin, "We...We actually were looking for you."

"You...were?" Cedric asked, glancing between Elizabeth and Harry.

"Yeah, I needed to talk to you," Harry said quickly, "The first task is dragons. We have to get past a dragon."

Panic flickered over Cedric's face, and he glanced towards Elizabeth Through the panic, she could also see doubt.

"Harry says he's seen them," Elizabeth said, "He wouldn't just make this up."

"Why are you telling me?" Cedric asked warily, turning back to Harry now, "Elizabeth make you?"

Elizabeth felt heat rush to her face.

"No, she didn't," Harry said defensively, "I thought it would be fair. We all know. We're all on even footing, aren't we?"

Cedric didn't look as if he believed it. Elizabeth was about to defend her friend again when she noticed Mad-Eye Moody was coming out of a nearby room, watching the three closely.

"Come with me, Potter," he said shortly, "Diggory, Martin, off with you."

Harry gave Elizabeth a slightly worried look before following their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Elizabeth turned slowly back to Cedric, who was watching her closely.

"So, you're back with Potter?" he asked. Elizabeth felt her face grow warm.

"He's my friend, Cedric," she said, "I don't want to abandon him."

"And you're helping him prepare for the first task? Don't you think that's a bit—"

"Listen," Elizabeth cut in, "You signed up for this tournament. You're seventeen, in your sixth year. You know you're better prepared for this than he is. Harry didn't even want to be in the tournament, and he's under age. So what if I help him prepare? If you ask me, he needs it."

Cedric paused, seeming to think it over, but sighed finally.

"I guess you're right," he said, "You really believe he didn't put his own name in?"

"I know he didn't. Harry's my best friend, Cedric."

Cedric still didn't look convinced and Elizabeth was about to argue the point more, but Cedric spoke up again.

"I need to get going," he said, "I was meeting Cho in the library."

Cedric headed off with that and Elizabeth sighed, shaking her head. She had a feeling it was going to be like this for a long time. Stuck adrift between friends, Hufflepuffs on one side and Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the other. She was going to go crazy before the year was out if she wasn't careful.

Elizabeth shook her head slightly, heading back to the library. She didn't really know where Harry went with Moody, but she was sure he'd return to the library since that's where Hermione was waiting.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked once Elizabeth took a seat at their little table again.

"Professor Moody wanted to talk to him," Elizabeth said, then as Hermione opened her mouth, "I don't know why. I guess he'll be coming by when he's done with that."

"Oh..." Hermione said slowly, "Did you at least get to talk to Cedric?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure he really believes us," Elizabeth frowned as she pulled closer a book on dragon taming, "I just hope he'll be able to figure something out..."

"Did something happen?"

Elizabeth sighed. Hermione was very perceptive. It was nearly impossible to hide something from her.

"I don't think he likes I'm helping Harry," she said softly, "I told him Harry needs it, he's less experienced and didn't even want to be part of the tournament..."

"But you're still a Hufflepuff and he was wanting your support."

"Plus my brother is his best friend," Elizabeth pointed out, "I just wish none of this had happened..."

Elizabeth glanced over the railing to see Harry had come in on the first floor of the library. She let the subject drop, not wanting to burden Harry more. He already knew what was happening was putting a strain on Elizabeth due to her House, but he didn't need to know exactly how much or the fact problems kept coming up. He had enough to worry about already.

Though when Harry sat back own at the table, he looked more determined than worried. Elizabeth was going to ask what happened, but Harry spoke first.

"I need your help," he said quickly.

"We _have_ been helping," Elizabeth told him, looking confused.

"I know, but Professor Moody gave me an idea," Harry said, "How I can get past that dragon. I need to learn the Summoning Charm by tomorrow."

Elizabeth stared. They'd recently begun learning _Accio_ in Charms, but she was quite pitiful in it. She had never been good at Charms.

"How will that help?" Hermione asked, looking as confused as Elizabeth felt.

"I can Summon my Firebolt," Harry said, grinning, "I can get ahold of it and fly around the dragon. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's flying."

Elizabeth thought the idea was insane. Outfly a dragon? That just wasn't possible...Yet if anyone could do it, she was sure Harry could pull it off. He did the impossible quite a lot.

"Then let's get started," Hermione said, then groaned as she noticed someone coming into the library. Elizabeth looked to see it was Viktor Krum.

"But not here," Hermione went on, "Oh, can't he study on his own ship? Let's get out of here before the fan club shows up."

They put away the books they'd gathered and quickly headed out of the library, just as a group of girls were heading in, whispering among themselves. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Sure, Viktor Krum was an amazing Quidditch player, but she thought the novelty of having a celebrity at Hogwarts would have worn off by now, especially after all the years Harry had been attending.

Now that Cedric knew Elizabeth was spending time with Harry again, she didn't really try to hide it anymore. She didn't care if her fellow Hufflepuffs would notice that she didn't show up for lunch at the same time Harry hadn't. Instead she stuck by her friend, helping him practice for the first task the next day.

She had to admit, helping Harry with the charm also seemed to be helping Elizabeth as well. Harry was the one working more often, using the spell to try and make things fly across the room even though they often fell halfway to him instead. Elizabeth was trying to improve her own skills by using the spell to pull the objects back. Even though they practiced through lunch, Harry wasn't getting much better. Hermione insisted they couldn't skip classes, but Elizabeth and Harry wanted to keep working, so they pretended to go to class, just to backtrack and meet up in an unused classroom to keep practicing.

"Thank you for this," Harry said, "I mean, I know we're friends, but..."

"But I'm a Hufflepuff?" Elizabeth asked as she picked up a book from the desk, "I'm sure they probably think I'm betraying them." Elizabeth sighed. "But you're years younger than the other champions. I think it's only fair to help you catch up."

"Thanks for the reminder," Harry said sarcastically. Elizabeth gave her friend an apologetic grin. It probably wasn't helping him to be reminded he was unexperienced compared to the others.

"You're going to do great, Harry," Elizabeth said, "All you have to do is master the Summoning Charm and you'll be unbeatable!"

"That's all, huh?"

Hermione returned after dinner that afternoon—Elizabeth and Harry worked through the meal again—and she was annoyed by the fact that Elizabeth and Harry skipped classes. She seemed to think better of arguing, however, and just went into helping Harry with the Summoning Charm again.

They worked until sometime after midnight, when Peeves had appeared as took their Summoning Charm lessons as an excuse to begin throwing things at them. Afraid that Filch would show up, the three hurried on out of the room and down a corridor.

"I should get back to my common room," Elizabeth said, "I'll try to sneak some time to talk to you tomorrow, Harry."

Elizabeth bade her friends good night, then headed off down through the castle back to the Hufflepuff common room. She kept close to the wall, ducking into alcoves in an attempt to avoid any teachers. The last thing she needed was to come across a teacher. Unfortunately for her, that's exactly what happened. Elizabeth was heading down a set of stairs and was just about to start for the Hufflepuff basement when she ended up finding herself face-to-face with Mad-Eye Moody.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

_**Chapter Nineteen:**_

"Um...h-hi, Professor," Elizabeth said slowly.

Mad-Eye Moody just stared at her, his normal eye focused on her while his magical blue eye swerving around in his head. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if he was looking to see if Elizabeth was just with someone else.

"You're not supposed to be out of bed," Moody growled, "What're you up to?"

"I...I was restless," Elizabeth muttered, "Sorry, I won't be out again..."

"No, it won't," Moody said, "Come."

Elizabeth fidgeted a little, but followed her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor down the corridor. She was worried, twisting her skirt in her hands. How much trouble was she in right now? Professor Moody was definitely the most intimidating teacher they'd ever had, and honestly a little terrifying. What type of punishment would he give out? After all, this was the teacher who was using an illegal curse on them to teach them to resist it, who also turned Malfoy into a ferret for trying to curse Harry. What was he going to do to her? Turn her into some sort of bug and keep her in a jar, like the spiders he used in class?

It turned out he was taking her to the Hufflepuff common room. They stopped right outside the stack of barrels that hid the corridor leading to the earthy room Elizabeth often hung out in. Elizabeth was pretty confused. Wasn't she supposed to be in trouble?

"You'll report to my classroom tomorrow after lunch," Moody said simply, "I'll have a task ready for you to keep you busy."

Moody left Elizabeth in the corridor and she sighed, tapping the barrels in the right order to open the passageway and made her way on into the common room, which was currently empty. Seemed everyone had gone on to bed. She frowned a little. Detention wasn't nearly as bad as she expected from Mad-Eye Moody.

That was, until she remembered the first task was going to be after lunch...She swallowed, her chest tightening as she realized her detention meant she wasn't going to be able to see how Cedric and Harry did. If helping Harry was going to pay off...Elizabeth was still trying to sort out what her detention would mean for tomorrow as she made her way to her dormitory room. It turned out Sally-Anne was still awake, sitting up on her bed.

"Saw you were gone all afternoon," she said, "You didn't show up for lunch, class, or dinner. I was worried."

Elizabeth blushed a little as she went to her trunk to dig out a pair of pajamas.

"A friend needed some help," she said honestly.

"I heard Cedric telling Lewis you're hanging out with Potter again."

"So what if I am?" Elizabeth looked over her shoulder, "Harry's one of my best friends."

"Are you helping him?" Sally-Anne leaned forward, "The first task is tomorrow. I couldn't help but notice Potter was missing all afternoon too. You're helping the enemy."

"That's really none of your business," Elizabeth said sharply, changing to her pajamas and getting into bed, yanking her curtains closed to cut off the conversation. She sighed as she lay across her bed, Cream curled up on her pillow like usual. She really knew how to get herself into problems, didn't she?

The full consequences on Elizabeth's choice to help Harry the day before became clear the next morning. Elizabeth had slept in a bit later than usual, probably from being up so late the night before. All the others were already gone to breakfast, getting things ready for their first and only class of the day, with the first task taking place that afternoon. The first task Elizabeth wouldn't get to watch.

Elizabeth got dressed and headed upstairs to breakfast, where she was greeted by her fellow Hufflepuffs with cold looks and people moving away when she came to sat down. Elizabeth felt sick, keeping her gaze down as she headed along the table. As she passed two guys, she heard one whisper to the other that 'there's the traitor that's helping Potter'. It seemed Sally-Anne hadn't been the only one to notice Elizabeth and Harry were both gone at the same time. Either that, or Sally-Anne was talking to the others.

Elizabeth, despite not eating anything since breakfast the day before, ate very little. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide that she was talking to Harry again for that long, but she didn't expect the reaction to be this bad. Wasn't her House supposed to be the one of understanding? Yet now she was seen as a traitor because she wanted to be loyal and fair to her friend.

Elizabeth didn't see Harry at all that morning, between meals and separate classes. She didn't even get to wish him or Cedric good luck, because Professor McGonagall and Sprout had come and led them from the Great Hall about halfway through the meal. Elizabeth, again, barely ate, sitting a bit away from everyone else. Maybe she shouldn't have helped Harry...She wouldn't have her entire House against her if she hadn't, and she wouldn't currently have detention. But Harry was her friend, she couldn't abandon him. Not again. She was going to have to take this one day at a time.

After lunch, when everyone else were excitedly making their way to the grounds for the first task, Elizabeth was making her way up the stairs to get to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Why had Moody had to be there when she was heading back to her common room? She always had the worst luck. To top it off, her stomach wormed with nerves, making her feel sick with worry. Worry on Cedric, worry on Harry...Not being able to watch the task, she was learning already, was going to be a lot harder on her. The only thing she could say was good was that her feeling sick from nerves was just that. Nerves. She didn't have any feelings of dread this time. Maybe she should take that as a sign that things would be okay...

"You're late, Martin."

Elizabeth glanced over to her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher sitting at his desk.

"S-sorry, Professor Moody," Elizabeth managed, "What do you need me to do?"

"You'll be cleaning the desks," Moody said, "Ink marks, scratches, gum out from under the desk tops. You'll be getting all of it up, no wand."

Elizabeth nodded, setting to work. She grabbed the rag from the soapy water that Moody had provided for her. As she started cleaning she first desk, she noticed the window nearby was opened. For a moment, Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder why someone as paranoid as Moody would leave his window open, but she could feel him watching her with his magical eye while he graded papers. The breeze coming in from the window was nice, at least. Much better than how closed off and stuffy he always kept the classroom. Rodger had asked him once to open a window to let in some fresh air, and Moody told them that opening a window meant enemies could get a clear line of attack. Elizabeth thought it was a bit odd he'd keep the window open now, but if it kept the room from being so stuffy she really didn't care.

Plus, there was an added bonus to the window being open. As Elizabeth was on her second desk, she could hear cheering drifting up from the Hogwarts grounds where the first task was taking place, followed by Ludo Bagman announcing that Cedric Diggory was ready to face his dragon. Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat and she tensed a little, straining her ears to hear.

Though Elizabeth didn't really know if this bonus was a good thing or bad. She kept finding her gaze flickering to the window as Ludo Bagman's commentary drifted from the grounds, and unfortunately things he said only seemed to make Elizabeth's imagination run wild. The collective yells and gasps of the crowd only made it worse.

"Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow..."

Elizabeth glanced to the window as she dealt with a stain of some what seemed like pumpkin juice on the corner of a desk.

"He's taking risks, that one!"

Elizabeth stabbed hard at a stubborn piece of gum on the underside of one desk.

"_Clever_ move—pity it didn't work! That one is going to sting!"

Elizabeth froze for a second, her eyes going to the window. What had just happened to Cedric? Was he okay? She glanced towards Moody, afraid she'd be caught paying more attention to the tournament and he'd close off the window. She was both relieved and a bit confused that both of Moody's eyes were fixed on the window himself now as he took a drink from the flask he always kept with him.

"And he has the egg!" Bagman's voice drifted through the window, barely heard over the screaming crowd, even if it was all muted due to distance, "Very good indeed! And now the marks from the judges!"

Silence fell for a few moments, followed by applause. It seemed Cedric's scores were done silently, shown to the crowd. Elizabeth frowned as she finished with the second desk and moved to the third, glancing up and seeing Moody's magical eye had turned to her again. She fidgeted a little, turning her attention back to the desk she was cleaning as Bagman announced that Fleur Delacour was heading into the field. Cedric had finished his round, so that had to mean he was okay, right?

Again, Elizabeth found herself trying to ignore her imagination as she heard Bagman's commentary drifting in from the window. ("Oh I'm not sure that was wise!"..."Oh...Nearly! Careful now...Good lord, I thought she'd had it then!") Elizabeth's mind was getting away from her, imagining what Fleur had to be doing to get the comments Bagman was giving. What had she done that hadn't been smart? Or what had she done that got her just short of whatever their goal was? Maybe whatever egg Bagman mentioned with Cedric?

Minutes later, it seemed Fleur finally succeeded in her goal and Bagman called for scores. Elizabeth kept her focus on her own work, trying to ignore the fact that Moody was watching her with his magical eye—at least, when it wasn't going to the open window. Maybe he realized Elizabeth was trying to listen in on what was going on? She needed to stop paying so much attention or else Moody might close the window before she could hear Harry's part...

"And here comes Mr. Krum!" Bagman called in the distance, and the same process began again. Elizabeth focused on her work, moving from one desk to another as she heard Bagman's commentary drift through the window. Only this time, Elizabeth could also hear a loud shriek unlike anything she'd heard before. Could it be the dragon? What had happened?

Soon enough, however, Krum had his egg, whatever the egg was. That left one person. The one Elizabeth had waited for with as much worry as for Cedric...Harry's name was called, and she heard the cheering. She couldn't help but imagine Harry walking out with a sickly nervous look on his face like the one he often had before a big Quidditch game...But he had a plan to get past the dragon. He was starting to get good at the charm before Elizabeth went off to bed. He'd be fine, right?

Elizabeth scrubbed harder on the desk she was at, finding herself glad that her back was to Moody currently. She kept glancing to the window as she worked, waiting for any commentary to come her way...

"It looks like Harry has Summoned a broom! I don't think anyone would have thought of that!"

Elizabeth grinned a little. It worked. Harry had gotten his Firebolt. Her friend was the best flyer she'd ever met, there was no way the dragon could touch him now. He was going to be fine.

She turned her focus back to her work, confident in her friend. Harry could do this now that he was on his broom. Still, she found herself listening to any commentary that would come while she worked.

"Look at that! Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is the quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Elizabeth gave a small laugh in joy, scrubbing a bit harder at the mark of the desk. She knew once Harry got his broom, he'd be fine, but the hear that he did it faster than all the others? That was amazing. And now the first task was over. They didn't have anything else to worry about for a while yet, most likely.

Elizabeth finished with her detention over an hour later, as it came time for dinner. Considering she'd barely eaten anything in the past two days, Elizabeth was starving. She hurried down to the Great Hall, hoping that maybe after the first task was done, the Hufflepuffs wouldn't be as hostile of Harry. After all, he did warn Cedric about the dragons in the first place. And Elizabeth was eager for news on how exactly everything went.

As Elizabeth came into the Great Hall, people were chattering loudly. She saw Harry and Hermione sitting with Ron and she gave them a wave, grinning. It seemed Ron and Harry were talking to each other again, so that was a good thing. Though as she turned to the Hufflepuff table, she noticed she was still getting glares from her Housemates. Elizabeth's good mood was instantly shattered. She frowned, making her way along the table and stopping by Cedric and Lewis, her eyes widening when she saw the healing purple paste on the side of Cedric's face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking the seat next to Lewis, watching Cedric.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cedric gave a half-grin, wincing a little, "Dragon got me a bit with its breath, but I made it through. Can you thank Harry for me? I don't think I would have done nearly as well if I didn't know the dragon was coming."

"Yeah, first chance I get," Elizabeth said.

"So long as you stop helping him with the tasks," Lewis said a bit bitterly, "Potter is tied with Krum in first place right now, and I bet it has everything to do with whatever you helped him do."

"Lewis, stop," Cedric said, pointing his fork at his friend, "I already told you, Harry helped me when he really didn't have to."

"And Elizabeth is helping _him_ rather than support her own House."

"All I did was sit in a room with him while he practiced Summoning Charms," Elizabeth snapped, "And so what if I did help him? In case all of you forgot, he's underage, and didn't even want to be in this tournament in the first place!"

Elizabeth pushed herself to her feet, her once-returned appetite suddenly gone again. She glared at her brother, then turned to Cedric.

"Thank you for being the one person who's gives a damn that Harry actually helped you," she said, then turned and marched out of the room, her hands gripped into fists.


	20. Chapter Twenty

_**Chapter Twenty:**_

Elizabeth was angry when she left the Great Hall, but the instant she crossed the threshold into the entrance hall, the anger left and Elizabeth found herself shaking for a completely different reason. It was too dark to go out to the grounds, and Elizabeth didn't want to go back to the common room. There was probably still more Hufflepuffs there and she didn't want to get more glares. She stood there in the entrance hall, trembling, tears stinging her eyes as everything from the past two days finally hit its head. A dam was breaking and everything was tumbling through at once.

"Elizabeth? Are you okay?"

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to see Hermione had come out of the Great Hall, putting a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. The second she saw how watery Elizabeth's eyes were, concern went over her face.

"Come on," she said, taking Elizabeth by the arm and leading her up the stairs. Elizabeth followed along until they reached a stairway that was almost never used and the girls sat down.

"Now, what's wrong?" Hermione asked. Elizabeth found herself grinning a little. Hermione was always worrying about others over herself, and she listened as well as anyone could.

Slowly, Elizabeth told Hermione everything that had happened since the night before. She told how she'd been caught by Moody, and put in detention so she missed getting to see the first task. She told how her own House was against her now because she was friends with Harry and helped him practice, how Cedric was the only one who didn't hate her...

"I guess I realize how Harry felt our second year," Elizabeth muttered when she finished, reaching up to wipe tears from her face, "When everyone thought he was the Heir of Slytherin..."

"You know, what they think shouldn't matter," Hermione said briskly, "Just ignore them and do what you think is right."

Elizabeth resisted the urge to sigh. That was the downside of advice from Hermione. Her answer to any type of social problem was 'ignore it'. Ignore people being pissed at you. Ignore taunts and glares. Ignore the fact your entire House hates you. Ignore the fact people you were friends with now wouldn't talk to you. Elizabeth loved her friend, but sometimes she wanted more than just 'hold your head up and ignore it'.

"That's easier said," Elizabeth said instead, looking to Hermione, "I'm not you, Hermione. I don't have that self-control you do."

Hermione gave a bit of a pleased smile, but she put an arm around Elizabeth's shoulders.

"You'll get through it," Hermione said, "You're not alone."

"I know," Elizabeth said, "Thanks."

Elizabeth took a shaky breath, wiping her face again. Just talking to Hermione helped. She felt a little better now, but she still didn't want to go to her common room.

"I saw Ron's talking to Harry again," she said.

"Yes, and it's about time," Hermione said, "Those boys can be so stubborn."

"Yes, they can," Elizabeth couldn't help but grin a little, "How about we go meet them at the Owlery?"

"Sounds good," Elizabeth said. Now that she'd spoken to Hermione, she felt a little better—even if Hermione was horrible at advice. Sometimes, however, you just needed to talk.

The two girls go up, Elizabeth taking off her glasses for a second to fully clean off her face from tears, then the two girls made their way to the Owlery. As they got closer, they could hear Harry and Ron were already there.

"There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?" Ron was saying excitedly, "You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I'm serious."

"Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes the tournament," Hermione said as she and Elizabeth came on in. Harry and Ron both spun around, but relaxed when they saw it was the girls.

"If that was the first task," Hermione went on, "I'd hate to think what's coming next."

"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Ron asked sarcastically, "You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, though she was grinning. She hadn't fully realized how much she missed Ron's snark until that moment. Elizabeth watched as Ron sent his tiny owl out the window with the letter to Sirius. Harry had told Elizabeth that Sirius wanted them to keep changing owls because Hedwig was too noticeable. She hoped Pigwidgeon would be up to the flight.

"Well, we'd better get back to the common room for your surprise party, Harry," Ron said after a moment, "Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now."

"I guess I should get back to my common room," Elizabeth gave a sigh, "You'll give me details about the task tomorrow, right?"

"Of course," Harry said with a grin, "See you tomorrow."

Elizabeth forced herself to grin back before heading off on her own down to the Hufflepuff common room. Maybe no one would notice she came in, and she could go straight to her room...

It was a slow, quiet walk back to the Hufflepuff basement. Elizabeth was trying to put it off as much as possible, her mind going over the day's events. She'd missed the first task because of a detention, because she had been helping Harry...But at least Moody had left his window open—

Elizabeth paused at that, staring out the window at the darkening Hogwarts grounds. Moody left his window open. She thought back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class where Moody said he never left windows open because it meant an enemy could get in an attack easier. Yet there he was, his window open to let the news of the first task come in...

'_You're thinking too much into this,'_ Elizabeth thought, shaking her head as she started back down through the castle. She shouldn't be making such a big deal out of an open window. They had enough things to worry about as it was. Harry and Cedric's second task was going to come eventually, and Elizabeth had to find some way to smooth things over with her House...Unless she took Hermione's advice and just ignored everything.

Elizabeth reached the usual pile of barrels and tapped the correct rhythm on the barrels before entering into the earthy passage leading down to the Hufflepuff common room. As soon as she was in the passage, however, she could hear some type of horrid screeching that immediately made her cover her ears. She moved on down the passage and found Cedric sitting on a couch, surrounded by other students, and a large, golden oval-shaped object was sitting in his lap. Considering the screeching stopped as soon as Cedric sealed off the lid on the object, it was clear where the noise was coming from. Was that the egg he had gotten?

"And the clue to the next task is in that mess?" Lewis was asking, staring at the golden egg, "How are you supposed to get anything from screaming?"

With everyone's attention on Cedric, Elizabeth realized she could get to her room unnoticed. Unfortunately, right as she reached the door, she found her path blocked by one of her least favorite people: Zacharias Smith.

"I hope you're proud of yourself," he said sharply, "Thanks to you, Potter managed to get first instead of Cedric."

"Harry's _tied_ in first," Elizabeth shot back.

"Only because Karkaroff is biased to his own champion and gave him perfect marks."

"Well, there's still two more tasks," Elizabeth said, "And for the record, I just sat in a room while Harry practiced. That isn't exactly 'helping', you know."

"But you're supporting him over Cedric."

Elizabeth tensed, glaring at the boy a year younger than her.

"You know, it's not a crime to support both Cedric _and_ Harry," she said coolly, "And that's what I'm going to do. Now get out of my way."

Elizabeth pushed past Zacharie to head on to her room. She changed into her pajamas and got into bed, grabbing her two-way mirror that was sitting in her school bag. She stared at it and just saw blackness, no sound coming through. Harry must have left his in his school bag as well. He'd probably be enjoying the Gryffindor's party. Elizabeth sighed, wishing things were normal. If her House hadn't thought she turned against them, she could be in the common room enjoying a party herself. Instead, she was hiding away in her room, dreading when the other four girls would come in...She was quite sure she was going to be ignored by all of them.

She had been right. Sally-Anne and Megan didn't even give Elizabeth's bed a glance. Hannah looked to Elizabeth and gave her a forced sort of grin, and Susan just glared. Elizabeth immediately closed the curtains around her bed, feeling worse than before. These girls—especially Hannah and Susan—were some of Elizabeth's closest friends. To have them treat her like this...Elizabeth buried her face in her pillow, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to ignore everything as she willed herself to sleep.

Unfortunately, that sleep brought with it a strange dream. She was walking along the corridors of Hogwarts, but everything was quiet. People were walking the corridors with their heads down, no one saying a word. She found herself with the sense of urgency, as if she were trying to find something or someone and was on a time limit.

She made it to the Great Hall, hurrying into the room. The usually bright room with thousands of floating candles was dark, the ceiling overhead cloudy and black. The candles were gone completely, not a single fire lit or even holding wood. The usual draping for the four houses were missing as well, and there were no paintings along the walls. The entire Great Hall was empty, not a single object to be found.

Except for one thing. A coffin, sitting in the middle of the room as if on display. Somehow, Elizabeth knew this coffin had been what she was looking for so desperately. She moved forward slowly, cautiously, her footsteps echoing around the oddly empty room. With a shaking hand, she reached for the coffin—black and umarked in any way—

Elizabeth suddenly found herself back in her room, safely under a patchwork quilt and staring up at the underside of her bed's canopy. Her heart was racing, the dream fresh on her mind. She'd had nightmares before, but this felt...wrong.

Slowly, Elizabeth rolled on her side and pushed her glasses on, looking to her clock. It was six in the morning. Too early for anyone to be up, too late to try and get a bit more sleep. Elizabeth sighed, getting on up and changing before heading into the common room. As expected, it was empty. With her dream swimming in her head, the warmth and comfort of the overstuffed chairs and a nice fire were very welcome. Elizabeth took a place next to the fire, curling up and watching the flames.

Elizabeth had dreams all the time, everyone did. By morning, the dream would be forgotten mostly, however, a fading memory as soon as she woke up and as she got ready for the day, those last pieces would drift away as well, to the point where she couldn't even remember having a dream in the first place.

Yet she couldn't seem to shake this nightmare. Every time she thought about the empty Great Hall and the coffin in the center of it, it sent a sickening chill through Elizabeth like nothing she'd felt before.

'_It was just a dream,'_ Elizabeth told herself. Nothing more than that. Just a bad dream, nothing more.

Then why couldn't she shake the feeling that there was more to it?


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

_**Chapter Twenty-One:**_

Elizabeth's fellow Hufflepuffs seemed a lot more forgiving of Harry than they did Elizabeth as December rolled in, and Elizabeth was feeling the pressure of it more and more. Cedric had seemed to convince them to lay off Harry, but they didn't seem to think that applied to Elizabeth and her 'betrayal' to help Harry practice. She tried to ignore it, however, and to avoid cold looks and silent treatments, she began eating every meal at the Gryffindor table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Elizabeth told Alain about what was going on the day after the first task and he was apologetic, but didn't have any advice on how to handle it aside from "I'm sure they'll come around." Elizabeth hoped he was right.

What Elizabeth told no one about, however, was the dream. Thankfully, after that one night, she didn't have it again. It made it easier just to pass it off as a nightmare and leave it at that. There was no point in worrying the others about a one-time nightmare, and as each day wore on, she felt more and more silly at the thought of bringing it up.

A week into December, Elizabeth was in Transfiguration with the rest of the Hufflepuffs. She was seated in the back, at the window, while they were practicing turning guinea fowls into guinea pigs. Elizabeth had already managed to transfigure hers—Transfiguration had always been one of her best classes—and was currently watching out the window where she could see the Gryffindors and Slytherins were having Care of Magical Creatures class by Hagrid's hut. It was times like these—watching half the class take shelter in Hagrid's hut (Elizabeth was sure every one of them was a Slytherin) while others struggled to wrangle in the large creatures—that Elizabeth was glad she didn't take Care of Magical Creatures. She never did well with some animals.

Elizabeth straightened up a bit. She saw a woman with blond hair making her way down to the ongoing class. Who was that, and what was she doing on the school grounds? From Elizabeth's angle, she didn't look like anyone on the Hogwarts staff.

Someone cleared their throat and Elizabeth jumped, turning to see Professor McGonagall standing over her desk.

"And what is so important outside, Miss Martin?" she asked.

"N-nothing, ma'am," Elizabeth said quickly, "I...I just finished with the lesson and—"

"And you thought you wouldn't need to practice more?" McGonagall asked, studying the guinea pig on Elizabeth's desk, "Your guinea pig is too round, and its nose looks more like a beak. I think you do need more practice. Keep your focus on the class, Miss Martin."

With a wave of her wand, McGonagall transfigured the guinea pig back to a guinea fowl and walked off. Elizabeth felt her face flush as several students looked at her, and she kept her head down for the rest of the period.

When lunch came, Elizabeth bypassed the Hufflepuff table as usual and instead went to Gryffindor, sitting with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They were already chatting when Elizabeth sat down, but she still had a question on her mind.

"I saw some woman heading down to your class," she said, "I was by a window in Transfiguration. Who was it?"

"Rita Skeeter," Ron said, "She's talked Hagrid into an interview, said she wanted to do a zoology piece."

"She'll probably just try to pump him for information about Harry," she said, looking to her friend, "You know she's your focus right now."

"I haven't noticed," Harry said scathingly. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Isn't she banned from the Hogwarts grounds, though?" she asked.

"She obviously doesn't care," Ron said.

"I'm more worried about what she'll do to Hagrid," Hermione said, "That woman twists everything."

"It'll be fine, I told you already," Ron said, "Dumbledore's let Hagrid slide several times already. And he's the one who banned Skeeter from the grounds, he wouldn't believe anything she said."

Satisfied that nothing Skeeter could do would cause problems, they finished up lunch and Elizabeth headed on to her next class, which was Muggle Studies. They were beginning to study Muggle entertainment, which Elizabeth found pretty strange. She couldn't really get her mind around the fact that they had programs on their televisions, where you had to turn on at a specific time to be able to enjoy. What was wrong with reading a newspaper, get the news when you want it? Or reading a book whenever you want instead of having your entertainment on a schedule?

Elizabeth left class with an essay on Muggle entertainment and made her way to the entrance hall where she met up with Harry and Ron. They were just about to head to dinner when Hermione came running up from the Hufflepuff basement.

"Harry!" she cried out, grabbing him by the arm, "Harry, you've got to come—you've _got_ to come, the most amazing thing's happened—please—"

"What's the matter?" Harry asked as Hermione started to pull him towards the basement passage.

"I'll show you when we get there—oh come on, quick—" Hermione led all three of them down the corridor, stopping in front of a portrait of fruit that Elizabeth knew all too well.

"Oh no, Hermione!" Elizabeth said, "This is the kitchen! This is about spew!"

"No, no it's not!" Hermione said, "And it's not _spew_—"

"Changed the name, have you?" Ron asked with a frown, "What are we now, then, the House Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into the kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it—"

"I'm not asking you to!" Hermione snapped, "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found—oh come _on_, Harry, I want to show you!"

Hermione pulled Harry into the kitchen and Elizabeth and Ron followed. Elizabeth had been in the kitchen a few times already, stopping by with some of the girls she roomed with when they had late night cravings, or getting things together for a party in the common room. She was used to the long tables directly under identical ones in the Great Hall above, the wall of pots and pans, and the oversized fireplace. She was also used to the house elves. What she wasn't used to, however, was the way one of them was dressed. Elizabeth barely got a look at the small elf—dressed in shorts, mis-matched socks, and a tie—when the elf rand across the room and hugged Harry tightly. Harry stumbled backwards at the impact, staring down at the house elf.

"Dobby?" he asked uncertainly.

"It is Dobby, sir, it is!" the house elf said happily as he pulled back, "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!"

Elizabeth looked at the house elf, who looked like he was bouncing with joy, to Hermione. She was grinning brightly and looked as if she'd just made the most amazing discovery in history.

"So you're Dobby?" Elizabeth asked, kneeling in front of the elf, "Hi, I'm Elizabeth."

She found it weird chatting with a house elf, but she'd heard of the abuse that Dobby had undergone when he was owned by the Malfoys. She didn't think house elves would do well with freedom overall, but she did believe Dobby, at least, deserved it.

"Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir! Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!"

"Winky's here?" Elizabeth asked, remembering the small house elf from the Quidditch World Cup.

"Yes, miss, yes!" Dobby said, though he grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him along. Elizabeth exchanged a look with Hermione and Ron before following. They made their way to the fireplace, where they found another house elf dressed in clothes rather than a tea cozy. Elizabeth noticed this one was Winky, dressed in a tattered and stained blue dress that looked like it might have once been nice. It was ruined now, however, and Winky was gripping to a bottle of butterbeer and looking as if she'd been crying.

"Hello, Winky," Harry said.

For some reason, that seemed to be the wrong way to greet the house elf. She suddenly burst into tears, hiding her face in her long hands. Elizabeth felt uncomfortable watching her.

"Winky, don't cry," Hermione said gently, kneeling by the house elf, "Please don't..."

"Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" Dobby asked over Winky's crying.

"Er—yeah, okay."

Instantly, several house elves appeared with a trays of tea, complete with sugar and milk, as well as a tray of biscuits.

"Good service!" Ron said, much to the delight of the elves. Hermione glared at him, however. Elizabeth agreed with Ron. She took the cup of tea when she was offered one, thanking the house elf before looking back to Harry.

"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed—"

Winky began crying even louder. Elizabeth glanced away, unable to watch the pathetic sight.

"Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sor, trying to find work!" Dobby rose his voice to be heard over Winky, "But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"

"Good for you, Dobby!" Hermione said, but Elizabeth could see why Dobby hadn't had any luck finding work. House elves were supposed to be loyal and hard-working. One who had been released from services before meant that there was something wrong. Either the house elf didn't keep its masters secrets, or it was a lazy worker.

Dobby went on to explain how he met with Winky and learned she was free as well, and Dobby thought they should find a job together—Winky was almost howling in tears by this point. They made their way to Hogwarts, where Dumbledore had hired them on a paid employees.

"Dobby gets a galleon a week and one day off a month!" Dobby finished off with a bright grin.

"That's not very much!" Hermione said loudly. Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten galleons a week and weekends off," Dobby said, looking pale, "But Dobby beat him down, miss...Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."

"And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?" Hermione asked the house elf by the fireplace softly.

Winky stopped crying, but only to give Hermione a look as if she thought she were a revolting piece of rotten food.

"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet being paid!" she said, sounding offended, "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"

"Ashamed?" Hermione asked slowly, "But—Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! Ou didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you—"

"You is not insulting my master, miss!" Winky said loudly, covering her ears like a small child, "You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"

"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," Dobby said (Elizabeth thought it was an understatement) "Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it."

"Can't house elves speak their minds about their masters, then?" Harry asked.

"No, it's part of being bound to the family," Elizabeth explained, "They're supposed to care for the family and keep their secrets, keeping their honor intact. When they're freed, they're no longer bound to the family."

"So you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Harry asked, looking back to Dobby, who looked panicked.

"Dobby—Dobby could," he said quietly, looking frightened, "Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were—were—_bad Dark wizards_!"

Dobby's large eyes widened even more before he ran for the nearby table. Harry grabbed him before he could reach it, however, holding him back.

"Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you," Dobby said weakly.

"You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!" Winky said shrilly.

"They isn't my masters anymore, Winky! Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!"

"Oh, you is a bad elf, Dobby! My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her...oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed?"

Winky broke down sobbing all over again. Elizabeth looked away again and Hermione knelt next to the house elf.

"I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting long perfectly well without you," Hermione said softly, "We've seen him, you know—"

"You is seeing my master?" Winky looked up through her fingers, "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, he's judging the Triwizard Tournament," Elizabeth said, "Him and Mr. Bagman."

"Mt. Bagman comes too?" Winky's voice grew cold as she glared, "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!"

"Bagman—bad?" Harry asked, dumbfounded. Elizabeth couldn't blame him. Mr. Bagman seemed really flighty, yes, but he didn't seem at all the type to be a Dark wizard.

"Oh yes! My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying...Winky—Winky keeps her master's secrets..."

Winky was in tears again, and nothing they could do was getting any more information from her so Harry decided they needed to leave. Harry promised to visit Dobby again and the other house elves insisted on sharing more food before the four left.

"You know what?" Ron was saying as they started out along the corridor, "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens—well, it's not really difficult, is it They can't wait to give it away!"

"I've known that for years," Elizabeth said, "The house elves here are always really friendly. Helpful when you're starving and missed dinner."

"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," Hermione said as they started up for one of their usual hangouts, Elizabeth munching on a biscuit, "Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them they want it too!"

"Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky," Ron said.

"Poor her," Elizabeth shook her head, "It can't be easy, losing her whole family she worked for."

"She's better off," Hermione said, "And once she shock wears off, she'll realize she's better off without that Crouch man."

For Winky's sake, Elizabeth hoped Hermione was right on that one.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

_**Chapter Twenty-Two:**_

Two days later, Elizabeth got news of something that she found extremely exiting, must to the annoyance of Harry and Ron. Hogwarts was going to be hosting a ball on Christmas, called the Yule Ball. Apparently, it was a tradition that went along with the Triwizard Tournament and open only to fourth years and above, though a younger student could attend if asked by an older one.

"And I have to have a dance partner," Harry said, looking quite pale, "The Champions have to open the ball."

Elizabeth was sitting in the Great Hall for lunch with her friends, sharing the news of the ball's announcement.

"I'm sure you'll find a date, Harry," Elizabeth said, an odd feeling tightening her chest, "Anyone would be lucky to go with you."

Hermione gave Elizabeth an odd look and she raised her eyebrow at her friend. What was that about?

"Eleezabet, may I 'ave a word wiz you?"

Elizabeth looked up to see Alain behind her, grinning. Elizabeth nodded and got up, telling her friends she'd be right back before following Alain to the entrance hall. Elizabeth noticed a couple of girls watching Alain closely as they passed.

"What's up?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, as Didi iz not 'ere," Alain said, "I 'ave no one I would want to go to ze Yule Ball with, and I 'ave already had a girl 'inting zat she wants me to ask 'er. So I was wondering if you 'ave anyone you're interested in going with. If you don't, maybe we can go togezer as friends, zat way I can tell girls I 'ave a date already. If you are planning to go with someone else, zen don't worry about it."

"Oh!" Elizabeth didn't know what else to say. She'd just found out about the Yule Ball, but she knew there wasn't anyone she wanted to go with. She knew Alain would already know that as well, since they often talked.

"Oh, no, I'm not interested in anyone," she said, "Sure, we can go together."

"Merci," Alain looked relieved, grinning at Elizabeth, "And don't worry, if you do 'ave someone ask you and you would razer go with zem, just let me know. Zis iz more a...back-up plan, right? In case you 'ave no date, I will go with you."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said, grinning herself, "Why ask me so early, though?"

"I'll admit, it iz a little selfish on my part," Alain chuckled, "I want an excuse to tell ze other girls who ask zat I already 'ave a date, and I would razer it be someone who is a friend."

"Yeah, I can understand that," she said. It made perfect sense. Go with someone who was only a friend and had no interest, than go with someone who was interested and lead them on.

"And if someone else asks, I'll let you know," Elizabeth went on, though she knew she wasn't interested with going with anyone. Sure, it'd been a year since her break-up with Tobias, but she just wasn't interested in anyone she knew and most of the Hufflepuff House currently hated her.

"Merci," Alain said, "You should get back to lunch. I will see you later, oui?"

"Of course," Elizabeth gave Alain a last grin before heading back towards the Gryffindor table and sitting with her friends.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

"Oh, Alain has a girlfriend, but she's back at Beauxbatons," Elizabeth said, "He wants an excuse to tell people he has a date, so we're going to go together as friends."

Harry got an odd look on his face, staring at Elizabeth. Ron, however, was smirking.

"We haven't even known about the ball for a day and you're already arranging to go with someone as friends?" he asked. Elizabeth glared at him.

"Only because there is no one I am interested in," she said sharply, "If I end up being asked by someone and want to go with them, I can tell Alain that I have a date and he'll go stag."

Ron was still smirking, and Hermione looked as annoyed as Elizabeth felt. Ron could be incredibly dense at times.

"Anyway, I have Divination next so I should get going," Elizabeth said, standing back up and taking her bag, "I'll see you at dinner."

Though over the next few days, Elizabeth didn't see much of Harry or Ron. Instead, she spent most of her time in the library with Hermione. She was still annoyed at Ron for his comments, and for some reason, kept finding herself never wanting to be around Harry when he talked about trying to find a date.

Elizabeth was currently in the library working on her Transfiguration essay while Hermione had disappeared to find some book. Elizabeth had been wrapped up in her work, she almost didn't notice two people approaching. When she looked up, she was shocked to see it was Susan, Ernie, and Hannah.

"Can we talk?" Hannah asked awkwardly.

"Um...sure," Elizabeth said. She thought all Hufflepuffs (aside from Cedric) were on no speaking terms with her. Seeing three of her fellow Hufflepuffs coming over wasn't what Elizabeth had expected.

"Listen..." Susan sat down at the table, "We talked to Cedric earlier, and he told us everything, about Harry warning him about the dragon and all..."

"Yeah, and we wanted to apologize," Ernie said, "We realized we're not being really great friends."

"After all, you're right," Hannah added, "Harry's your friend too and we really shouldn't get upset at you wanting to support him."

Elizabeth felt her face flush and she grinned a little. She wasn't sure if all Hufflepuffs would follow their lead, but it was nice having some of them back on her side.

"Thanks," she said, "I...I really appreciate this. Harry's my friend, after all, and I'm supporting both him _and_ Cedric."

"Good," Susan said with a grin, "And I think Lewis does believe you, but you know how stubborn he is."

Elizabeth laughed a little. Her brother could be pretty hard-headed, and never liked admitting he was wrong.

"Are you going to the ball with him?" she asked. Susan flushed and nodded.

"He asked me as soon as we found out," she said. Ernie rolled his eyes.

"And I'm heading off while you three have girl talk," he said, getting up and leaving. Elizabeth laughed again, on a bit of a joy high now that she was friends with some of her closest Housemates again.

"What about you, Hannah?" she asked, "Do you have a date yet?"

"Yeah, I'm going with Anthony," a light blush crossed Hannah's cheeks. Anthony Goldstein was a Ravenclaw in their year, and one of Elizabeth's classmates in their Muggle Studies class.

"What about you?" Susan asked.

"Alain asked me, as friends," Elizabeth said, "He has a girlfriend at Beauxbatons and I'm not planning on going with anyone, so we're going to just hang out together."

"Really? There's no one you want to go with?"

"Not really," Elizabeth shrugged, "I mean, I haven't really fancied anyone since Tobias."

Susan and Hannah exchanged a look that Elizabeth didn't like at all.

"What?" she asked.

"Well..." Hannah said slowly, "It's just..."

"Sally-Anne told us last night that Tobias asked her to the Yule Ball, and she said yes."

"Oh..." Elizabeth frowned, looking down to her essay. She was over Tobias—after all it'd been a year and they hadn't dated that long—but still, the thought of him dating someone else was odd. Especially when that someone else was someone she was friends with.

"Well, that's fine," Elizabeth said slowly, "I mean, we broke up a year ago, he's free to date who he wants."

Hermione had returned then, oddly pink-faced as she sat down.

"Oh, hello Susan, Hannah," she said.

"Hello Hermione," Susan said, getting up, "We were just stopping by to talk to Elizabeth a second. We'll see you later, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth grinned and watched her friends leave before turning to Hermione.

"You took a long time finding a book," she said.

"Actually, I ran into Viktor Krum," Hermione said, her pink cheeks growing more red, "He...He asked me to the Yule Ball."

Elizabeth, who had just picked up her quill to get back to her essay, suddenly dropped it again.

"He _what_?"

"He asked me to the Yule Ball, and I said yes," Hermione was grinning now, "I mean, we talked a little. He said that he'd actually been coming to the library to see me, but never got the courage to come say hello."

"To think a famous Quidditch star fancies you, Hermione," Elizabeth said, "You're going with _Viktor Krum_!"

"I don't really care that he's famous," Hermione blushed more, "He seems like a nice man."

"You've got a date with someone famous?"

It was Ginny. She'd come over and taken the seat that Hannah had been in moments before.

"Viktor Krum," Elizabeth answered for Hermione, "He asked her to the Yule Ball."

"You're lucky," Ginny sighed, "Unless someone older asks me, I won't even be going."

"I'm sure someone will ask you," Hermione said, "You're getting very popular."

"Maybe you could ask someone?" Elizabeth asked, "I mean, isn't there anyone you would want to go with?"

"Harry needs to have a date for the ball," Hermione said, "Didn't you fancy him?"

For some reason, Elizabeth's stomach tightened at that thought and she frowned.

"Well, I used to," Ginny brushed back some of her hair (the tightened feeling in Elizabeth's stomach relaxed) "But I guess I grew out of it. I mean, I realized I'd kind of created this ideal of who Harry was from the stories Ron told, and then I actually got over nerves enough to get to know him. It turned out that he's just...Normal."

"I like that he's normal," Elizabeth said without thinking. Ginny and Hermione both stared. "What?"

"Nothing," they both said, and both had a smirk that Elizabeth didn't really like too much.

"Maybe I will ask someone myself," Ginny said confidently, "After all, it doesn't hurt to try, right?"

It turned out she didn't need to ask, because two days later, Ginny said that Neville had asked her and she agreed to go with him. Ginny didn't seem all that pleased with her date, but Elizabeth didn't see anything wrong with going to the dance with Neville.

While Elizabeth, like nearly every girl in the school, were excited for the upcoming ball and often had topics going towards it, the teachers didn't seem as interested. Professors McGonagall and Moody were prone to dock House points for talking in class, and Professor Snape had threatened to ban students from going to the ball at all. It was hard to keep focus in those classes, and Elizabeth much preferred Charms at the moment. Even though it was her worst class, it was also one of the only classes where they were allowed to just talk and not do any work so it often felt more like a free period.

And with Hannah, Ernie, and Susan talking to Elizabeth again, those classes were a lot more bearable. Rodger, Justin, and Oliver were being friendly themselves, but Sally-Anne and Megan still refused to talk to Elizabeth. Wayne was also ignoring her, but Elizabeth felt that might have more to do that he had tried to ask her to the Yule Ball and she turned him down. Elizabeth had felt bad about doing so, but she just wasn't interested at all in Wayne and would rather go with Alain, who was just friends.

Elizabeth was relieved when the term finally ended, even if she did have a pile of homework. With friends in her own House again, she'd begun eating more at her own table rather than with the Gryffindors, though she still had the occasional breakfast with Harry, Ron, and Hermione instead. She did this on the first day of their holiday, which oddly didn't feel much like one. Even with most all third-year-and-below students gone, the Great Hall was as noisy as usual as Elizabeth made her way to the Gryffindor table and sat beside Hermione, helping herself to bacon and toast.

"Got dates yet?" Elizabeth asked, as she had every morning.

"Yes," Harry said(Elizabeth suddenly felt as if she'd lost her appetite), "We're going with the Patil twins."

Ron didn't look at all happy about this, stabbing at a sausage.

"I thought you'd be happy to have a date," Elizabeth said.

"Ron's just in a foul mood because Harry found the date for him," Hermione said. Ron glared at her.

"And who're you going with, anyway?" he asked.

"I already said I'm not telling you," Hermione said, "You'll just laugh."

"Well, I'm glad you have a date, Harry," Elizabeth said, though her stomach has sinking at the words, "You'd look pretty foolish out there dancing by yourself when you open the ball."

"Don't I know it," Harry muttered.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

_**Chapter Twenty-Three:**_

Christmas morning came much noisier than usual for Elizabeth. She was used to waking up alone in a room—either in her house, or at Hogwarts the past two years—so waking up to the sound of Sally-Anne and Megan chatting was a bit disorientating at first. Slowly, Elizabeth remembered how many people were staying over the holidays and she sat up, pushing on her glasses. Hannah and Susan were already awake as well, going through presents on their bed.

There was her usual various candies from various friends—including her roommates. From her aunt was a nice hand mirror. Hermione gave her a book that was apparently some Muggle fiction story. Ron had given her a nose biting tea cup, and Harry sent her a nice scarf that had a butterfly knitted on each end—Elizabeth grinned as she realized Harry must have noticed her current scarf was practically falling apart. Lewis gave Elizabeth a cat figurine, and lastly there was the present from her mother.

When she picked it up, she noticed there was a note on it:

_I thought this would look nice with your dress robes._

_Love, Mum_

Elizabeth grinned at that and opened the box. Inside was a silver choker necklace with a large rose engraved on it, with matching rose earrings, as well as a silver hair clip. Elizabeth grinned more, running her fingers over the set. It was a really nice thought.

The morning was noisy and active, everyone staying in the common room and enjoying themselves. Elizabeth kept to a corner with the few Hufflepuffs who would actually talk with her, and stayed away from her brother on the other side of the room. After a large Christmas lunch of turkey and pudding, Elizabeth decided to spend the afternoon with Harry, Ron, and Hermione out in the snow—Elizabeth wearing her new scarf.

The boys got into a snowball fight, but Elizabeth stayed with Hermione on the sidelines, the two girls sitting on a bench after they brushed all the snow off.

"Will they always act like such children?" Hermione asked with a sigh.

"There's nothing wrong with a snowball fight," Elizabeth said, "I'd probably be out there too, but I don't want to be so tired I can't dance tonight."

Hermione grinned at that, a blush crossing her face.

"I'm looking forward to it," she said, "I've been talking with Viktor more, he really is a nice guy. Nothing like what you'd expect from Durmstrang's reputation. By the way, thanks for finding me that Sleekeazy Potion."

"It takes a while to set in, and only will last the night," Elizabeth said, "But I hope it helps."

Hermione grinned back, and the two continued chatting about the ball until five o'clock came and they headed inside to get ready for the ball—ignoring Ron's calls asking why they needed so long. The two girls parted ways in the entrance hall and Elizabeth headed down for her common room. She found Sally-Anne was already in the room and she gave Elizabeth a glare before going to get ready.

Elizabeth ignored her, getting changed herself as Susan and Hannah arrived, shortly followed by Megan. The girls kept chatting, all through getting ready and doing each other's hair. Elizabeth thought Susan and Hannah both looked amazing in their robes(Susan in a pale blue that set off her eyes and Hannah in black that looked great with her blond hair). Elizabeth let Susan do whatever she wanted with her hair, with the condition that her new hair clip be included. Susan ended up giving her a half-up style, the upper layers of her hair gathered together and held with the silver clip her mother had sent and the rest of her hair falling in soft waves, created by a quick spell. Elizabeth grinned brightly as she watched her reflection, putting on the jewelry her mother had sent before turning to the others.

"You look great, Elizabeth," Hannah said. Elizabeth blushed a little. She never thought much about her own looks, but she had to admit, she liked how she looked now. Even if her robes were the same ones she'd worn over a year ago to her aunt's wedding, but they fit better now than they had then and the silver trimming added a new touch.

By the time they had all finished, it was close to eight and they all headed upstairs. Elizabeth looked around as Susan headed over to Lewis, and Hannah quickly found Anthony. She could see so many students already meeting up and starting into the Great Hall that had just been opened. Elizabeth caught sight of the Champions on the stairs nearby—Cedric and Cho were together, Fleur was with the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, she saw Krum with Hermione(and couldn't help but think Hermione looked amazing in her flowy periwinkle dress and hair back in a smooth bun), and lastly Harry with one of the Patil twins. Elizabeth noticed Harry was staring at Cho, who was dressed in a pale green dress and looking quite nice. Elizabeth found herself glaring at the Ravenclaw Seeker.

"Bonjour, Eleezabet."

Elizabeth turned quickly and saw Alain had come up, looking very nice in dress robes of a dark gray. She grinned at him.

"You look nice," she said.

"Merci. So do you. Ready to 'ead in?"

Elizabeth nodded and started towards the Great Hall among the crowd. She grinned and waved at Hermione as she passed the champions and their dates, but Harry was too busy watching Cho. Elizabeth glared at the Ravenclaw again. What was so great about her, anyway?

They entered on into the Great Hall and Elizabeth looked around, awed by the decorations. The usual four tables had been replaced by hundreds of smaller ones, each sitting a dozen, and covered in a white tablecloth and lanterns. The floating candles were replaced by floating mistletoe and ivy, everything covered in frost. Elizabeth had to admit it was amazing.

They found Ron sitting at a table with one of the Patil twins, and now that Elizabeth was closer she realized it was Padma, the Ravenclaw. Elizabeth greeted them as they sat down, and were soon joined by Neville and Ginny.

"These decorations are amazing, aren't they?" Ginny asked, looking around. Elizabeth thought she looked cute in her pale green dress, even if it was as old as the horrid maroon ones that Ron was currently wearing.

"They are," Elizabeth agreed. Ron just gave a grunt, glaring towards the door. Elizabeth wondered what his problem was.

Once everyone was settled at tables, Elizabeth noticed the champions were coming in with their dates. First Fleur and the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, then Krum and Hermione(Elizabeth grinned and waved and Hermione waved back, but Ron was glaring), Cho and Cedric followed(this time, Elizabeth was the one glaring at Cho), and lastly, Harry and Parvati. Elizabeth found herself watching Harry, who looked uncomfortable with the way Parvati was almost yanking him around as if showing off Harry as her date. Though even with all that, Elizabeth couldn't help but note that Harry looked incredibly nice in dress robes of a bottle green color.

The champions took seats up at the head table where the headmasters of each school were seated, as well as Ludo Bagman and—to Elizabeth's shock—Percy.

"What's your brother doing here?" Elizabeth asked. Ginny and Ron both turned to where Harry had just sat next to Percy.

"I dunno," Ginny said, "Maybe he's standing in for Mr. Crouch?"

"Not like Mr. Crouch to pass up work, though," Elizabeth said, "Auntie Ginger said he's always making a big deal out of his work."

"Isn't Mr. Crouch one of ze judges?" Alain asked.

"Yeah, he is," Padma said. Ron and Neville seemed like they'd rather focus on their dinner than the conversation right now—though Elizabeth noticed Ron kept glaring up at Hermione with Krum.

Elizabeth noticed the menus next to the plates once she had realized the boys had food, then looked over it and said her own order, having the food immediately appear on her plate. As they all got food, the subject thankfully changed from Percy's appearance at the table.

"This isn't what I am used to," Alain was saying, "At Beauxbatons, we 'ave zese large ice sculptures zat never melt, and zese wood nymphs will sing through ze meals."

"Everything but the wood nymphs sounds great," Ginny said, "I don't think I could take singing all the time while I'm trying to eat."

"Christmas isn't usually like this, either," Padma said, "I think the school has been showing off. I mean, usually it's just the ghosts who wander around singing carols and that's because they just like it."

"Beauxbatons doesn't have ghosts," Alain said, "It iz a shame, I like ze ghosts I 'ave talked with 'ere."

The continued sharing stories comparing their schools all through the meal. Even Neville began joining in once he got used to Alain, especially when he learned that Alain was a budding herbologist himself. Ron, however, stayed uncharacteristically silent the entire time. Elizabeth had no idea what was going on with him, but she didn't think he would appreciate her asking in front of everyone else. She'd have to remember to pull him aside later and ask if he was okay.

The meal ended and Elizabeth watched with excitement as the table at the front of the room was cleared and instruments were brought out. Everyone got to their feet, and Elizabeth clapped and cheered with everyone else as the famous Weird Sisters came out. Elizabeth didn't know how Dumbledore had managed to book them, but they were a great band to have for the ball.

The champions had to start the dance with their dates. Elizabeth noticed Hermione was almost beside herself, grinning brightly as Krum led her along on the waltz. Harry, however, looked almost terrified. Soon enough, other people were joining the dance floor—including Neville and Ginny.

"Want to dance?" Alain asked, looking to Elizabeth. She grinned and got up, looking over at Ron.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yes," Ron said shortly. Elizabeth shook her head, then headed for the dance floor with Alain.

Elizabeth loved dancing. She was horrible at it, but she did love it. She and Alain went through three songs before Elizabeth's feet were beginning to hurt and she said she wanted a break. They went over to a refreshment table where different drinks were lined up and both grabbed a bottle of butterbeer. Elizabeth, as she opened her bottle, found herself scanning the crowd until she spotted Harry with Ron nearby.

"You should talk to 'im."

"What?" Elizabeth looked up to Alain. She talked to Harry all the time. "You mean we should, right? I mean, we're going to head over to talk to them at some point."

"Non," Alain shook his head, "Your friend, 'Arry. You should talk to 'im about 'ow you feel."

"How I..." Elizabeth trailed off, then felt her face grow warm, "I...I don't..."

"I see 'ow you look at him," Alain chuckled, "I wasn't sure at first, but seeing you now, I can tell. You should talk to 'im."

"I...I don't fancy Harry," Elizabeth said quietly. She glanced around. Suddenly, the room was feeling a lot more crowded than it actually was, the music just too loud. She put down her butterbeer, clearing her throat.

"I'm going to get some air," she said, "I'll be back in a minute."

Elizabeth turned, hurrying off out of the Great Hall, bumping into someone as she went but she didn't stop to apologize. She just needed to get out into the fresh air. She headed down the stairs and out onto the snowy grounds. They'd redecorated the grounds as well, fairy lights glittering everywhere and statues of reindeer scattered around. It would have been nice, if Elizabeth actually cared enough to look around and take it in. Instead, she went to a bench and sat down, ignoring the chill. Well, not ignoring it. It was actually pretty welcome, helping her clear her head.

She couldn't fancy Harry. Not Harry. He was her best friend, after all. Not to mention the fact Harry had that crush on Cho. There was no way he'd even look at her like that...Not that she cared if Harry looked at her in any way. She couldn't. Harry was just her friend, nothing more. And that's all they ever were going to be. She did not fancy her best friend.

Elizabeth heard footsteps approaching and she lifted her head up from her hands enough to see who it was—then felt heat rush to her face. Of all the people to show up at this moment, why did it have to be the very person she'd been fighting her own thoughts over?

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, sitting next to Elizabeth on the bench, "You kinda just rushed out."

Elizabeth couldn't speak. She just sat there dumbly staring at her friend. He had a concerned look on his face

"Did that Beauxbatons boy do something?" Harry asked, a hard edge forming to his voice. That snapped Elizabeth out of her daze.

"What? No!" she said quickly, straightening up, "No, Alain's great. He's a really good friend. I just...You know I don't like crowded places. It just got a bit much in there."

"Oh, good," Harry said, "You didn't look that happy, so I thought..."

"No, I'm fine," Elizabeth grinned at her friend, "Really. Thanks for coming out here, but you can head back in."

"Actually, I'd rather not," Harry said, glancing to the doors, "Hermione and Ron started arguing, then Percy looked like he was about to come over...I think I'll stay out here. I'd prefer freezing to death over what's going on in there."

Elizabeth snorted at that, though she did shiver a little.

"How about we walk around, then?" she asked, "Fresh air, moving to stay warm...Maybe then we can brave the dance together."

Harry grinned at that and the two stood up, starting out along the walkway that had been created winding through the garden maze that took up the Hogwarts grounds now.

"Professor Sprout really outdid herself," Elizabeth said as they walked, looking around, the magnificent display of various roses surrounding them, "This is gorgeous."

"Yeah," Harry said, though Elizabeth wondered if he really meant it. He didn't exactly have the same appreciation for this sort of thing she did. She looked over at Harry and realized he was staring at her.

"Do I have something on my face?" Elizabeth asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Er, no," Harry replied, looking confused, "Why?"

Elizabeth was about to tell Harry he'd been staring, but a familiar voice drifting from nearby. Elizabeth and Harry both stopped walking, standing very still.

"...don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."

It was Professor Snape, and it seemed he was talking to the Durmstrang headmaster. Elizabeth frowned, glancing over at Harry. Since when were they on first name basis?

"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroff said, his voice low but Elizabeth and Harry could still hear, "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it—"

"Then flee," Snape cut in, "Flee—I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."

Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner and in sight of them. Snape immediately narrowed his gaze. Karkaroff, however, seemed nervous, glancing to Snape.

"What are you two doing?" Snape asked sharply. Elizabeth fidgeted a little.

"We're walking," Harry said simply.

"Keep walking then," Snape shot back, pushing past them with Karkaroff on his heels.

"Since when have those two been on first-name terms?" Harry asked once they were out of earshot and they began waking again.

"I was wondering the same thing," Elizabeth said. She shivered again and Harry paused, then pulled off the overcoat of his robes and draped it around Elizabeth's shoulders. Elizabeth was surprised at first, then grinned softly and tightened the robe coat around her.

"Thanks," she said, "Anyway, what here Hermione and Ron arguing about?"

"Hermione going to the ball with Krum," Harry said, "Ron thinks she's betraying me and 'collaborating with the enemy'."

Elizabeth groaned. That was exactly why the Hufflepuffs were avoiding her. Couldn't all this just stop already?

"Let's just hope this doesn't end in another months of silent treatment," Elizabeth said, "We should probably head back up to the castle. It's getting colder, and I'm sure you want your coat back."

"I'm fine," Harry said, but he did turn and they two started back towards the castle. They mainly walked in silence until they got back inside and Elizabeth gave Harry his coat back.

"Thanks again," she said, "I should get back to Alain, he's probably worried."

"Yeah, I guess so," Harry said, frowning a bit.

They'd gone back into the Great Hall, and Elizabeth could see Hermione dancing with Krum. Elizabeth was about to invite Harry over to talk with Alain, but then she saw Ron sitting by himself at a table.

"Maybe you should go see if Ron is okay," she said, "Alain and I will come over later, okay?"

Harry nodded and headed off, and Elizabeth made her way over towards Alain. She found him at a table, chatting happily with Neville, apparently comparing plants they'd studied. As Elizabeth got closer, they were talking about some plant called gillyweed(which she briefly wondered had anything to do with the drink gillywater) but Alain grinned at Elizabeth when he noticed her.

"Talk with Harry?" he asked.

"Yes, but not what you think," Elizabeth said as one of her favorite songs started up, "Come on, want to dance again? Do you mind, Neville?"

"Not at all," Neville said, shaking his head.

Alain, thankfully, decided to let the subject of Harry drop and they moved out to the dance floor. Elizabeth had to admit, she had an amazing time at the ball. She spent most of the time dancing to exhaustion, but she also spent a lot of time talking to her friends whenever she came across them. Hannah and Anthony were spending more time chatting at a table than dancing, Susan and Lewis almost never last the dance floor, and Elizabeth noticed Ginny was spending a lot of time talking with one of Anthony's friends, Michael Corner.

Elizabeth was reluctant for the ball to be over when midnight came, though she applauded with everyone else as the Weird Sisters took their leave. Everyone slowly started filing out of the Great Hall and it was clear Elizabeth wasn't the only one who wanted the party to continue.

"Tonight was great," Elizabeth said as she grinned at Alain, "Thanks for being my date."

"Merci," Alain replied, "I should get back to ze carriage. Goodnight, Eleezabet."

"Night."

Elizabeth turned from him, noticing Hermione stomping up the stairs with a glare at Ron. She frowned, hoping this would blow over quickly. Still, she went over to Harry and Ron and told them both goodnight, then watched as they headed up the stairs. She noticed Cedric catch up to them, however, and pull Harry back to say something. Elizabeth told herself she'd ask Harry about it in the morning and turned, heading on back to the common room.

Everyone was chatting brightly in the common room, no one really wanting to go to bed yet. Elizabeth made her way over to where Hannah was sitting with Ernie, and she sat down and pulled off her shoes. She hadn't realized just how tired she had gotten until she sat down and the pain in her feet really sank in. Maybe wearing heels hadn't been the best choice for the dance...

"Why can't Hogwarts have balls more often?" Hannah asked, "That was fun."

"Can you imagine the trouble of doing a dance every year?" Ernie asked, "This was nice, but I'll be glad not to have another."

Elizabeth leaned back, rubbing her sore feet. Honestly, she was with Hannah. She thought the dance had been amazing and she really did wish Hogwarts could have more of them.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

_**Chapter Twenty-Four:**_

The last week of Elizabeth's holiday was spent cooped up in the Hufflepuff common room with Susan, Ernie, and Hannah, working on the homework they'd been ignoring with the excitement of the Yule Ball. Because of this, she didn't spend much time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, or with Alain(though she learned Alain was becoming fast friends with Neville since the Yule Ball). In a way, it was a good thing. After that moment of panic at the Yule Ball, a week away let Elizabeth sort out her own thoughts. Harry was just a friend, and that's all he would ever be. She couldn't be attracted to him, could she? For now, she was determined the answer would be no. Wherever this was coming from, she was going to ignore it.

Besides, when the term began again Elizabeth had something more to worry about than exactly how she felt about her best friend. As Elizabeth sat down to breakfast, Susan was frowning at the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ she had.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, grabbing some toast.

"Did you know Hagrid's half-giant?"

Elizabeth choked, staring at Susan.

"_What_?" she asked in disbelief. She always knew Hagrid was very large, but she never really thought about why. Susan frowned again and pushed the paper over towards Elizabeth. Frowning herself, she noticed a very unflattering picture of Hagrid, followed by a lengthy article:

**DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE**

_Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizradry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, _writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent._ In September this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Mistry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence. Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures._

_Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the head master to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates._

_An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening."_

"_I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything."_

_Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a _Daily Prophet_ reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts." Highly dangerous crosses between manticores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creatures is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions._

"_I was just having some fun," he says, before hastily changing the subject._

_As if this were not enough, the _Daily Prophet_ has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not—as he has always pretended—a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown._

_Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the oint of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst Muggle killings of his reign of terror._

_While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature._

_In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's fall from power—thereby driving Hagrid's own mother, like the rest of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend—but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants._

Elizabeth was shaking from anger by the time she finished the article. Hannah, who had been reading over Elizabeth's shoulder, went pale.

"Hagrid's half-giant?" she asked, "But he's always been so nice."

"I don't really like his classes, but I still like Hagrid," Ernie said, "But half-giant?"

"He's never hurt any of us," Susan said matter-of-factly, "Hagrid is far nicer than _other_ teachers here. I don't really care if he's part-giant."

Elizabeth grinned a little. Susan had just voiced everything she had been thinking. She looked up to the Gryffindor table and knew that Harry wouldn't have heard this news yet.

"Mind if I borrow this?" she asked.

"No, go ahead."

Elizabeth took the paper and headed to the Gryffindor table. She sat with her friends and put the paper down on the table in front of them.

"That Skeeter cow is at it again," she said in way of greeting, "Read that."

Elizabeth watched as they grouped together and read over the article. She saw Ron, like Hannah, went a bit pale and his eyes widened. Hermione, like Susan, just frowned. Harry, however, reacted as Elizabeth did. He got angry.

"What's wrong with him being half-giant?" he asked sharply, "Who cares?"

"Giants have bad reputations, Harry," Elizabeth said, "The only truth in that article is that they used to be a big supporter of You-Know-Who."

"They can't all be horrible," Hermione said, "It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves...It's just bigotry, isn't it?"

"No, it's not," Elizabeth said, "Giants are...well..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "How did Skeeter find out anyway? Did Hagrid tell her?"

"He never even told us, did he?" Harry asked, "You remember what Hagrid said. All she wanted to ask about was me when she interviewed him. She probably got mad that he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, so she went ferreting around to get him back."

"Well, we have Care of Magical Creatures after Herbology," Hermione said, "We'll talk to Hagrid then."

When lunch came, however, Elizabeth learned Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't have a chance to talk to Hagrid. He hadn't shown up for lessons and they were taught by a woman named Professor Grubbly-Plank. They decided to go visit after dinner. That, however, proved to be just as fruitless. They had gone down to the cabin and spent several minutes knocking on the door, but Hagrid never answered.

"What's he avoiding _us_ for?" Hermione asked irritably as the four gave up and started for the castle, "He surely doesn't think we'd care about him being half-giant?"

Unfortunately, they saw no sign of Hagrid over the next week. He never showed up during meals and Harry told Elizabeth that he still wasn't teaching. When a Hogsmeade visit came, Elizabeth was a bit reluctant to go, but Harry eventually talked her into it.

"We could all use some time away from the castle, Elizabeth," he said as they were enjoying a break between classes, "Maybe Hagrid will be there."

Elizabeth gave a sigh.

"I guess you're right," she said, "It would be nice to visit Hogsmeade again."

"I thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," Hermione said, "Really get to work on that egg."

"Oh...I—I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now."

"Have you really? Well done!"

Hermione was impressed, but Elizabeth watched Harry closely. He'd never really been the best liar. But she knew they needed this break, so she was fine letting it slide.

So when Saturday came, Elizabeth met with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the entrance hall after breakfast. As they started out of the castle, she suddenly realized this would be the first time she went to Hogsmeade with all three of them together. Last trip, she'd been with Hannah, Ernie, and Alain. And she had only gone on two visits the year before, one being a date and the other was just with Ron and Harry, which had ended up cut short. It would be nice to get some time out of Hogwarts and just enjoy themselves.

They started across the grounds and Elizabeth noticed Krum on the Durmstrang ship. He was wearing only a pair of swim trunks as he went to the edge of the ship and jumped off into the lake.

"He's mad!" Harry said, staring in shock, "It must be freezing, it's January!"

"It's a lot colder where he's from," Hermione said simply, "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."

"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," Ron said hopefully. Hermione glared at him.

"He's really nice, you know," she said, "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me."

Ron didn't say anything and Elizabeth was grateful. Hermione and Ron were staying friendly after the Yule Ball, and she wanted it to stay that way. They'd had enough of ignoring each other for the year.

When they reached Hogsmeade, they spent most of the time trying to catch sight of Hagrid. Once it was clear he wasn't in any shops, they decided to stop by Three Broomsticks for a chance to warm up. As usual, the place was crowded, but they took a place near a window where Elizabeth felt more comfortable. Harry got them butterbeers and they were just taking to their drinks when Hermione pointed past Elizabeth to a nearby table.

"Doesn't he _ever_ go into the office?" she asked.

Elizabeth and Harry—who was sitting next to her—turned to look over their shoulders. Sitting at a table nearby was Ludo Bagman, apparently in a meeting with a group of goblins. Bagman looked nervous and worn down, and the goblins all looked quite unhappy with him.

"What's he doing here?" Elizabeth asked, "The second task is over a month away."

Bagman looked up and Elizabeth and Harry spun around quickly to keep from being caught from staring at him. Unfortunately, Bagman noticed them and came over to the table, grinning brightly at Harry.

"Harry! How are you?" he asked cheerfully, "Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"

"Fine, thanks," Harry said.

"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" Bagman asked, looking to Elizabeth, Ron, and Hermione, "You couldn't give us a moment, you three, could you?"

They agreed, and Bagman led Harry off towards one corner of the pub. Elizabeth watched them closely, not looking away. Whatever it was Bagman was talking to Harry about, Harry didn't seem too happy.

"What's all this about?" Elizabeth asked, not looking away from her friend.

"Dunno," Ron said, "What's so important that he couldn't say it in front of us?"

They got their answer when Harry returned to his seat next to Elizabeth. She saw Bagman was leaving with the goblins.

"He offered to help me with the golden egg," Harry said when Ron asked.

"He shouldn't be doing that!" Hermione said, looking shocked, "He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out—haven't you?"

"Er...nearly."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is he trying to help Cedric, too?" she asked. If Harry got help, Cedric should be getting it too.

"He's not, I asked."

"Who cares if Diggory's getting help?" Ron asked and Elizabeth glared at him.

"I do," she said, "In case you forgot, I'm a _Hufflepuff_. And Cedric is one of my friends."

Ron just rolled his eyes and Elizabeth got a rare urge to smack him upside the head.

"Those goblins don't look too friendly," Hermione said, changing the subject, "What were they doing here?"

"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," Harry said, taking a swig of his butterbeer, "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."

Harry had told them after the Yule Ball that Percy said Bagman hadn't shown up because he was ill and spending a quiet Christmas at home.

"Maybe Percy's poisoning him," Ron said, "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"That's not funny," Elizabeth hissed with a glare.

"What _is_ funny is that the goblins are looking for Mr. Crouch," Hermione said, "They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"Well, Percy did tell us Mr. Crouch knows a lot of languages," Elizabeth pointed out, "They probably need him to translate or something."

"Worried about the poor 'ickle goblins now, are you?" Ron looked at Hermione with a smirk, "Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?"

Elizabeth snorted as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Goblins don't need protection," Hermione said matter-of-factly, "Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?"

"No," Harry and Ron said together as Elizabeth shook her head. She doubted anyone listened to Professor Binns aside from Hermione.

"Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," Hermione said as she drank some of her butterbeer, "They're very clever They're not like house elves, who never stick up for themselves."

"Uh-oh..." Ron said suddenly, and the way he was staring at the door made it clear that he wasn't talking about an impending S.P.E.W. speech from Hermione.

Elizabeth and Harry turned to look over their shoulders again to see a tall, blond woman in glasses had come in dressed in yellow and accompanied by a short man with camera. Elizabeth knew from photos in the _Daily Prophet_ that this woman was Rita Skeeter. Elizabeth frowned as the woman pushed through the pub, talking with her photographer.

"...didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo?" Skeeter was saying, "Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights...what nonsense...He was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman...' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo—we just need to find a story to fit it—"

Elizabeth was glaring at the woman. Skeeter was a horrible old cow and Elizabeth would love to give her a piece of her mind, but the last thing she wanted was to become Skeeter's next target. Harry, however, didn't seem to mind at all what Skeeter thought of him.

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry called after the reporter. She paused, turning towards Harry and then grinned brightly.

"Harry!" she said, hurrying over, "How lovely! Why don't you come and join—"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," Harry snapped, "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"

Elizabeth watched as Skeeter raised an eyebrow at Harry.

"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my—"

"Who cares if he's half-giant? There's nothing wrong with him!"

Harry was shouting now. Elizabeth stared at him with wide eyes, looking between him and Skeeter. The entire pub had grown quiet, everyone looking towards their table. Skeeter kept a grin on her face, however, and pulled out a long quill and parchment, the quill hovering on its own.

"How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry?" Skeeter asked, "The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"

"You horrible woman!" Hermione pushed herself to her feet, "You don't care, do you, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman—"

"Sit down, you silly girl," Skeeter cut in, "Don't talk about things you don't understand. I know things about Ludo Bagman that will make your hair curl." She studied Hermione with a hard stare, eyeing her bushy hair, "_Not_ that you need it."

"Let's go," Hermione hissed, "C'mon."

Hermione marched out of the pub and Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth followed behind out into the cold January air. Elizabeth watched Hermione up ahead, stomping through the snow and had a quick pace to her.

"Hermione, that wasn't a good idea," Elizabeth said worriedly, "Skeeter is a nasty piece of work. She'll just go after you, she'll find something—"

"Let her try!" Hermione said, "My parents don't read the _Daily Prophet_. She can't scare me into hiding! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this."

Elizabeth glanced to Ron and Harry, both of whom looked a bit frightened of Hermione. Elizabeth couldn't blame them. They'd never seen her so angry before.

"Hagrid isn't hiding anymore!" Hermione went on, "He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!"

They didn't stop until they were at Hagrid's hut back on the Hogwarts grounds, where Hermione began pounding on the door. Elizabeth was a bit out of breath, but she wanted to talk to Hagrid as much as Hermione did. She missed her friend.

"Hagrid!" Hermione yelled, "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that fowl Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being—About ti—"

Hermione's eyes widened and she went pale. The door had opened, but instead of Hagrid, it was Professor Dumbledore standing there. Elizabeth tensed, her own eyes widening and she took a step back behind Harry, as if he'd hide her from view from the headmaster. She had no idea how Dumbledore was going to react to Hermione yelling at the door.

"Good afternoon," Dumbledore said as if he were greeting calm, polite visitors and not a teenager yelling at the door.

"We—er—we wanted to see Hagrid," Hermione said weakly.

"Yes, I surmised as much," Dumbledore said with a grin, "Why don't you come in?"

Elizabeth glanced at her friends, but headed into the hut with them. She saw Hagrid sitting at the table nearby, looking worse than Elizabeth had ever seen him. Not even when he was dealing with Buckbeak's pending execution. It tugged at her heart and she went to Hagrid instantly, resting a hand on his shoulder, as Hagrid was actually leaned forward and the shoulder was low enough for her to reach. Hagrid looked up just slightly. Elizabeth really hated to see her friend like this.

"More tea, I think," Dumbledore said, closing the door and using his wand to bring up a tray of tea and cakes, setting them on the table. Elizabeth and the others sat down around the table, watching Hagrid closely.

"Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione's face went red. "Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Elizabeth still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."

"Of course!" Elizabeth said, "Hagrid, you're our friend! We miss you!"

"how could you think we'd care what that Skeeter cow—" Harry started, then cut off, glancing to their headmaster, "Er, sorry, Professor."

"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry," Dumbledore said simply. Elizabeth wasn't sure whether to be amused or not.

"Er—right," Harry said, looking back to Hagrid, "We don't care at all about what that woman wrote about you."

Hagrid looked like he was starting to cry again. Elizabeth immediately got up and went over to pat his arm comfortingly again.

"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, his eyes shining as he looked at Hagrid, "I have shown you the letters from countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it—"

"And Susan, Hannah, and Ernie told me how much they miss you and how much they love your classes!" Elizabeth said. Of course, they didn't actually say the last part, but her friends did talk about how they missed Hagrid and his cheery nature out on the Hogwarts grounds.

"Not all of 'em wan' me ter stay," Hagrid said in a weak voice.

"Really, Hagrid, if you're holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," Dumbledore said simply, "Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what do I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"

"Yeh—yeh're not half-giant!"

"Hagrid," Harry spoke up, sounding angry, "Look at what I've got for relatives! Look at the Dursleys!"

"An excellent point," Dumbledore said with a nod, "My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head up high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery..."

Elizabeth glanced at the headmaster. She was so used to how calm and collected he was, as such a powerful figure, she never thought that he had to have relatives. Though from what Dumbledore had just said, Elizabeth wasn't sure she wanted to meet his goat-charming brother.

"Come back and teach, Hagrid," Hermione said softly, "Please come back, we really miss you."

"I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday," Dumbledore said as he got to his feet, "You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."

Dumbledore left with that and Elizabeth watched him go before turning back to Hagrid, who suddenly broke down into sobs. Elizabeth patted his arm softly, waiting for him to settle down as she looked to her friends. She really hated to see Hagrid like this...

"Great man, Dumbledore," Hagrid managed once he finally calmed down, "Great man..."

"Yeah, he is," Ron said as he picked up one of the cakes Dumbledore had conjured earlier.

"He's righ', of course—yeh're all righ'...I bin stupid...my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'..." Hagrid shook his head slowly as he wiped his face. "Ever shown you a picture of my old dad, have I?"

"No, you haven't," Elizabeth said as she took a seat at the table again. Hagrid got up and went over towards the dresser nearby. He grabbed a picture from one of the drawers and brought it over, laying it on the table for the others to see. Elizabeth leaned forward, grinning a little at the picture of an obviously very young Hagrid. Maybe ten or eleven, but already nearly eight feet tall.

"Tha' was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid said, "Dad was dead chuffed...though I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mom...well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really...but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year..."

"I'm sorry, Hagrid," Elizabeth said softly. Hagrid gave her a smile at that.

"Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went," he said, "Got me the gamekeeper job...trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances...Tha's what sets him apar' from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren'...well...all tha' respectable. But some don' understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh...there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an say—I am what I am, an' I'm not ashamed. 'Never be ashamed,' my ol' dad used ter say, 'There's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth botherin' with.' An' he was right. I've been an idiot. I'm not botherin' with _her_ no more, I promise yeh that. Big bones...I'll give her big bones."

Elizabeth had no idea what Hagrid was talking about. She glanced over at the others and realized that they seemed as clueless as she was. Maybe Hagrid was talking about Madam Maxime? She was the only person around as large as Hagrid was, after all...

"Yeh know wha', Harry?" Hagrid went on, grinning at them, "When I firs' met you, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum and Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it...An' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!" Hagrid grinned more, then his face grew more serious. "Yeh know what I'd love, Harry? I'd love yeh ter win, I really would. It'd show 'em all...yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don' have ter be ashamed of what yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How you doin' with that egg, Harry?"

"Great. Really great," Harry said, and as Elizabeth looked to him, she could tell that he didn't sound as sure of it as he had earlier. Now she was positive he wasn't getting anywhere with the egg. Elizabeth frowned. The second task was barely more a month away. She just hoped he would be able to figure it out soon.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

_**Chapter Twenty-Five:**_

The following Thursday, Harry had been waiting in the entrance hall when Elizabeth came up for breakfast. He said he needed to talk and the two instantly headed to an empty stairway where Ron and Hermione were waiting.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked.

"Last night," Harry said, "I was working on the egg's clue—"

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" Hermione cut in.

"I just need to—sort of fine-tune it, all right?" Harry asked sharply, "Anyway, don't worry about the egg right now. Just listen..."

Harry went on to explain how he'd been out under his invisibility cloak and he'd had his Marauder's Map and saw that Mr. Crouch was in Snape's office. Soon after this, he ran into Moody and Snape in a corridor where Snape said that his office had been broken into, and mentioned Moody already had searched it earlier in the year.

"So Moody's keeping an eye on Snape?" Elizabeth asked, "Why else would he search his office?"

"Think Dumbledore asked him to?" Ron asked.

"I doubt it, but he's definitely doing it," Harry said, "Moody said Dumbledore only let Snape stay because he's giving him a second chance or something..."

"What'd Snape do that he needs a second chance?" Elizabeth asked.

"That's exactly what I've been wondering," Harry replied.

"Oh honestly," Hermione said, shaking her head, "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit—"

"Evil," Ron cut in, "Come on, Hermione, why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?"

"Why has Mr. Crouch been pretending to be ill?" Hermione shot back, "It's a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?"

"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky."

"_You_ just want to think Snape's up to something."

"Because he is," Elizabeth said, "It has to be suspicious that two separate people are searching his office. Not to mention his conversation with Karkaroff at the ball. Something's going on." Elizabeth turned towards Harry. "Have you written Sirius yet?"

"I was going to after classes," Harry said, "Speaking of that, we should get to Charms..."

"And I have Potions," Elizabeth sighed as she got up, "I'll see you later."

"Meet us in the library after dinner," Harry said, "I'll explain then."

Elizabeth nodded, heading off towards class. When Elizabeth got to Potions and Snape came in, looking angrier than usual. Knowing what happened the night before, Elizabeth knew today it would be a very good idea to keep her head down.

**xxxxx**

As agreed, after dinner, Elizabeth started off for the library. She was stopped on the stairway, however, by Cedric and Lewis. Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably. She and Lewis had settled their differences over Cedric and Harry as champions, but things sometimes felt a bit tense between them.

"Hey, Liz," Lewis said, "Cedric wanted to ask you something."

"Er, okay..." Elizabeth said slowly.

"I just wanted to know of Harry followed up on that clue I gave him," Cedric said, "If he needs any help with the second task."

"Oh," Elizabeth blurted, brushing back some of her hair, "Oh, yes, he's figured the clue out. I was just heading up to the library to meet up with him. I think he's starting to research what to do."

"You're going to help him?" Lewis asked bitterly. Elizabeth felt her face grow red.

"Lewis," Cedric warned, "I don't mind if she helps him research. I already know what I'm going to do, after all."

"Good," Elizabeth said, "Harry is my friend as much as you are, Cedric. I'll help give him dig through books but I'm not going to do work for him or anything."

Lewis sighed, shaking his head.

"Whatever you say," he said, "Come on, Ced."

Cedric gave Elizabeth an apologetic grin before the two went off down the hallway. Elizabeth glared after her brother, then turned and made her way to the library. She found Harry, Ron, and Hermione in their usual spot in the upper level of the library.

"Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to Transfigure yourself into a submarine or something," Hermione was saying as Elizabeth sat down, "If only we'd done human Transfiguration already! But I don't think we start that until sixth year, and it can go badly wrong if you don't know what you're doing..."

"Yeah, I don't fancy walking around with a periscope sticking out of my head," Harry said sarcastically.

"What are you two talking about?" Elizabeth asked. What in Merlin's name was a submarine?

"The second task," Harry looked up at Elizabeth, "The clue in the egg. I have to go to the bottom of the lake to get something from the merpeoples, and I have to figure out how to breathe underwater for an hour."

"What?" Elizabeth asked, paling, "How're you supposed to breathe underwater?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Harry said, turning back to the book in front of him.

"I think your best bet would be some sort of charm," Hermione said.

They spent the next several weeks going through book after book, but to no avail. Elizabeth could tell the stress was getting to Harry. The task was a month away. Then just a few weeks. Then just one week. Then a few days...

Less than twenty-four hours. Elizabeth was as tense as her friend, spending every waking moment in the library with Harry researching how he could survive underwater. Her heart was racing more now. Aside from Herbology, Elizabeth and her friends hadn't been outside the castle in weeks.

"I don't reckon it can be done," Ron said dully, sounding defeated as he stared at the book in front of him, "There's nothing. _Nothing_. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."

"There must be something," Hermione whispered, "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"Even if we do find something, can you learn it overnight, Harry?" Elizabeth glanced up from her own reading, "We need something really simple."

She frowned, looking to the level below in the library. Neville and Alain were talking in one area, and a memory tugged at the back of Elizabeth's mind...Another time Neville and Alain were talking, and it being about plants...

"I'm going to go check something," she said, getting up and heading off into the rows of books. Her heart was racing for a completely different reason now. Something had clicked and she was realizing they'd been looking in the wrong area...They'd been looking for a spell, but there had to be something more simple than a spell, didn't there? Something Harry didn't need to practice to use...

Elizabeth got to a section of book on water plants and started skimming until she snatched up a book at random. All she could remember was that the name sounded similar to gillywater. It should make it easier to find, shouldn't it?

She pulled down one book after another, skimming over the indexes of each. She felt like she was so close...

_Gillyweed_! Elizabeth's breath caught as she flipped to the correct page, finding the passage she was looking for.

_A plant native to the Mediterranean Sea. When consumed, the user grows gills on the neck as well as webbing between the fingers and toes, allowing him or her to breathe and move freely under the surface of watery locations for an extended period of time. A popular plant among those wishing to study marine life._

Elizabeth kept her finger at the right page so she wouldn't have to search it down again and hurried back to the table where her friends were, grinning brightly. However, when she reached the table, she realized Hermione and Ron were missing.

"Where did they go?" Elizabeth asked, holding her new find against her chest.

"Fred and George came by, said Professor McGonagall was looking for them," Harry said.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Harry sighed, "Just when we need them most..."

"Actually, Harry, look at this," Elizabeth put the book she was holding down in front of Harry and pointed to the gillyweed passage, "I just remembered Neville and Alain were talking about this at the Yule Ball."

Harry read over the passage, his eyes widening and the look of panic slowly morphing to one of wild hope, then to one of worry.

"How can I even get gillyweed?" he asked.

"I bet Professor Sprout has some," Elizabeth said, "She has nearly everything out in the greenhouse and someone had to go down to talk to the merpeoples to arrange the task, right?"

Harry looked down at his watch.

"There's still an hour before curfew," he said, "Come on, maybe I can catch Professor Sprout and ask her..."

They hurriedly put away the books they'd been using, then headed down for the greenhouses where Professor Sprout stayed until it grew dark. The castle grounds were cast in a red glow from the setting sun, and Elizabeth said she'd wait for Harry at the castle doors—she wasn't sure what Professor Sprout would think about one of her Hufflepuffs helping Harry with the second task, when Cedric was a Hufflepuff himself. A few minutes later, Harry returned with a small box, looking both worried and relieved.

"She had some," he said, holding up the box he had, "Looks like I'll be using gillyweed tomorrow."

"Good," Elizabeth said, feeling relieved herself. After a month of searching, having the answer right there in Harry's hand was like a weight lifted off her. And Cedric had said weeks ago he knew what he was going to do...Cedric and Harry would be fine.

"You should go on to bed early," Elizabeth went on, "I mean, with the task tomorrow...You need to be well-rested. You can leave a note for Hermione and Ron when they get back to the common room."

"Yeah...And thanks, Elizabeth. You're a life-saver."

Elizabeth grinned, feeling her face grow warm as her stomach did an odd sort of flip. She watched as Harry headed off up the stairs, then turned and started for the Hufflepuff common room, still grinning more than she had in weeks.

**xxxxx**

If there was a word to describe the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, it would be "boring". The champions had disappeared under the surface of the water nearly an hour before, and all the students in the stands had to watch was a still surface of the water, occasionally broken by the giant squid coming by. The most exciting thing that happened so far was Fleur Delacour had returned empty-handed.

Dumbledore had told them that what was 'stolen' from each champion was a person, but promised each of them that the 'hostages' were anything but and all four of them were perfectly safe. That, added with the fact that Elizabeth hadn't had any sinking, odd feelings that day, she wasn't really that worried.

At least, she wasn't until Cedric returned to the surface with Cho. Elizabeth had made her way down through the stands to the edge of the lake to greet them, congratulating Cedric as Madam Pomfrey was giving the two Pepper-Up Potions and draping blankets around them.

"What was it like down there?" Elizabeth had asked Cedric while Cho was distracted with Madam Pomfrey.

"Not that bad, really," Cedric said, "It was almost boring. I just swam down there, got Cho, and came back."

"Did you see Harry or Krum?"

"Well...I saw Harry," Cedric said slowly, "He...He was already there when I came down for Cho. He was still there when I left."

Elizabeth was confused. She didn't get a chance to ask because Cho had come back over to Cedric and Elizabeth, trying not to glare at her, moved away, watching the lake. Harry was down at the bottom before Cedric, so why wasn't he back yet? She didn't know how long gillyweed lasted...Now the worry was starting to set in. Harry needed to hurry up and get back. The hostages would be safe, but there was no telling what would happen to Harry.

Bubbles started to rise to the surface and Elizabeth straightened up—but it turned into guilty disappointment when she realized it was Krum and Hermione—of course Hermione was her friend, but she had known the hostages would be protected. Elizabeth waited until Hermione and Krum were settled in blankets before she headed over.

"You okay?" she asked and Hermione nodded, grinning.

"I don't remember anything, really," she said, "I was in Dumbledore's office, and he was telling us about the enchanted sleep, and next I knew I'm out in the lake with Viktor. Is Harry back yet?"

"No. Cedric said he was down there already when he reached them, but he hasn't come back up..."

Hermione paled a little at that.

"He vill be fine, Her-own-ninny," Krum said, "He vas still there ven I left."

"What is he thinking?" Hermione muttered, staring off to the water.

Elizabeth was wondering the same thing, twisting the end of her shirt in her hands. Why was he still down there? He wasn't trying to play hero, was he? If there was one thing about Harry, he had a bad habit of trying to play hero...

Elizabeth felt as if she were going to go crazy when three heads finally broke the surface in the lake and relief rushed through her.

"Harry!" she cried out, rushing forward and reaching the shore just as Harry, Ron, and a small girl with blond hair were getting to where they were waist-deep in water. Elizabeth didn't care about getting wet. She rushed out, throwing her arms around Harry and nearly knocking him backwards into the water again, "You did it!"

"Er, thanks, Elizabeth..." Harry muttered.

Elizabeth hadn't been the only one to rush out into the water and help the three the short distance onto the bank. Percy—who was standing in for Mr. Crouch again—came rushing out to Ron, his face pale. Fleur, sounding hysterical, came running out to the girl, who was apparently named Gabrielle. And unfortunately, Elizabeth's rush to greet her friend meant she had ended up pretty wet herself and she soon had Madam Pomfrey pulling her over to drape blankets around her, fussing the entire time.

"Cedric said you were down there the whole time," Elizabeth said, watching Harry as the judges began talking nearby, though Dumbledore was off to one side talking with a group of merpeoples.

"Er...yeah..." Harry said slowly, frowning.

"You did it, Harry!" Hermione called, "You found out all by yourself!"

"Well," Harry started, but Elizabeth shot him a look and he looked as if he might laugh. Luckily, he didn't continue.

"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," Krum said and Hermione turned back to him with a grin. Elizabeth shook her head, turning back to Harry herself. Before she could say anything, however, Fleur had come over.

"You saved 'er," she said instantly to Harry, "Even though she was not your 'ostage."

"Yeah," Harry muttered, though he didn't look happy about it.

Fleur was grinning, however, and kissed Harry on both cheeks before turning to Ron. Elizabeth felt her stomach tighten and found herself glaring at Fleur as she kissed Ron's cheeks before heading back over to the little girl that was most likely her sister.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision," Bagman's amplified voice echoed through the grounds and Elizabeth jumped with a yelp, "Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty points for each of the champions, as follows...

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

"I deserved zero," Fleur muttered as the crowd applauded. Elizabeth, thinking of the woman kissing Harry, silently agreed. She didn't clap.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We therefore award him forty-seven points."

Elizabeth screamed and cheered, grinning brightly at her friend nearby. The applause was louder than ever, most of the screaming coming from Elizabeth's fellow Hufflepuffs in the stands.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."

Elizabeth gave more a polite applause now, looking to where Hermione was grinning brightly at Krum next to her.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

Elizabeth shook her head, but found herself grinning as she looked at Harry, who looked as if he could turn back time and change how he had acted. Elizabeth, however, doubted he would have actually done things differently. That's simply who Harry was.

"Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks," Bagman went on, "However...Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

Elizabeth laughed and hugged Harry again, who seemed in shock. He was tied with Cedric for first place now! She leaned back, ignoring the fact her blanket was now on the ground.

"Moral fiber, huh?" she grinned, "Only you, Harry!"

"Turns out you weren't being thick at all!" Ron added, having to shout over the cheering of the crowd.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," Bagman said once the cheering settled down, "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

Elizabeth had been grinning so much her face hurt, and she was eager to follow the others back up to the castle. Harry and Cedric were tied in first place. The second task was over. It was time for things to be normal again, at least until Harry would learn what his final task would ensue.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

_**Chapter Twenty-Six:**_

All anyone could talk about for the next couple of weeks was the second task, despite how boring it had been to watch. This was mostly due to the stories that circulated about what actually happened down in the lake. Ron had become a bit of a mini-celebrity, people eager to know how he had been captured by the merpeople. At first, he gave wildly outlandish tales of being ambushed by dozens of mermen, but after a harsh comment from Hermione one afternoon, he sobered up and simply gave the same story Hermione had told Elizabeth after she'd come up from the lake.

What Elizabeth was most looking forward to, however, the next Hogsmeade was quickly approaching. The day before the visit, Elizabeth got some news from Harry after breakfast, when she was on her way to Charms and he, Hermione, and Ron were heading to Transfiguration.

"Sirius sent me a note," Harry said in a whisper, pulling Elizabeth aside, "He wants us to meet him outside of Hogsmeade tomorrow afternoon."

"He's come back?" Elizabeth whispered, "What's he thinking?"

"He'll be fine," Ron said, "I mean, they're not actively looking for him and there aren't dementors around, remember?"

Elizabeth nodded, frowning a little.

"I should get to class," she said, "I'll see you after dinner, okay?"

Elizabeth headed off with that, heading up to Charms, her worst subject. The only good thing about it was the class was often very noisy, so she got plenty of opportunities to talk with her friends. She found Hannah and Susan talking at a desk towards the back of the class when Elizabeth came in and made her way over.

"Hermione always seemed really nice," Hannah was saying, frowning at something she had on her desk.

"Hannah, you can't believe everything you read," Susan said as Elizabeth sat down.

"What's going on?" she asked. Hannah looked embarrassed, but Susan rolled her eyes and pushed what Hannah had been reading over to Elizabeth. She saw it was a copy of Witch Weekly, open to an article with a picture of Harry above it:

_**Harry Potter's Secret Heartache**_

_A boy like no other, perhaps—yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, _writes Rita Skeeter_. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year-old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger. Little did he know that he would shortly be suffering yet another emotional blow in a life already littered with personal loss._

_Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgarian Seeker and hero of the last Quidditch World Cup, Miss Granger has been toying with both boys' affections Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has "never felt this way about any other girl."_

_However, it might not be Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms that have captured these unfortunate boys' interest._

"_She's really ugly," says Pansy Parkinson, a pretty and vivacious fourth-year student, "But she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it."_

_Love Potions are, of course, banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart on a worthier candidate._

Elizabeth glared, shaking her head at the article.

"Doesn't that woman have something better to write about than making up love triangles?" she asked, grabbing her wand to continue their practice on Growth Charms from their previous lesson.

"So Hermione isn't interested in Krum or Harry?" Hannah asked.

"She's not interested in Harry," Elizabeth said flatly, "But she is actually dating Krum. They went to the Yule Ball together, remember?"

Hannah flushed slightly and turned back to her own candlestick she was trying to make grow bigger.

Elizabeth didn't get a chance to talk to Harry, Ron, and Hermione during lunch, so she had to wait until after dinner, when they met up in the warm, windy courtyard and tell them about Skeeter's new article in a gossip magazine. Surprisingly, they already knew.

"Parkinson waved it in our faces when we went to Potions," Harry said, "But there's something more important I need to talk to you about. Karkaroff came into class, trying to corner Snape to talk. He was showing Snape something on his arm, said something about it never being so clear. I couldn't see what it was, but Karkaroff was worried."

"Think this has to do with what we overheard at the Yule Ball?" Elizabeth asked, "Whatever it was Karkaroff tried to talk to him about back then?"

"I dunno," Harry said, shaking his head.

"I wonder why it's got him so worried," Ron said as he stared off over the lake nearby. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder the same thing...

**xxxxx**

Elizabeth and her friends didn't head off to Hogsmeade until after lunch the following day, Harry carrying a bag of chicken, bread, and flasks of pumpkin juice that he had gotten from the Great Hall during lunch. They passed some time at Zonko's before two o'clock began growing closer and Elizabeth followed Harry off towards the edge of the village.

It was clear this was an area Hogwarts students didn't visit often. It was more residential, lines of private homes with their own little gardens. At the end of the street, a familiar large black dog was waiting, a newspaper in his mouth as if he were fetching it for his owner.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry greeted. The dog wagged his tail once before heading off up a path. Elizabeth and the others followed him along until finally ending in a cave hidden from view of the village nearby. Once they were safely out of sight, the dog soon transformed into a familiar man with long, tangled black hair and wearing ragged gray robes. He instantly welcomed the food Harry handed over, sitting on the ground and tearing into one of the chicken legs.

"Thanks," Sirius said between bites, "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself."

Elizabeth made a face at that. Living off rats...She wouldn't wish that on anyone. Except maybe Malfoy.

"What're you doing here, Sirius?" Harry asked.

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," Sirius replied, grinning at Harry, "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray. I want to be on the spot. Your last letter, Harry...Well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the look of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried."

Sirius took another bite of food as he nodded to the newspaper he'd been carrying. Elizabeth picked it up and realized it was two different papers, one with an article about Crouch still being gone from work due to a 'mysterious illness', the other about Bertha Jorkins, who was still missing. It seemed Cornelius Fudge was getting involved with the search now. Elizabeth skimmed over the one on Barty Crouch first.

"Sounds like Crouch isn't in good shape," she said, "I mean, he did look pretty ill back at Halloween, but..."

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, I'd say," Hermione said sternly from where she was petting Buckbeak, who had been nearby in the cave, "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now—bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."

"Hermione's obsessed with house elves," Elizabeth heard Ron mutter nearby. Hermione glared at him as Sirius straightened up.

"Crouch sacked his house elf?" he asked.

"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry said, before explaining about how Winky had been found with Harry's wand right after the Dark Mark appeared in the cave. Sirius was on his feed again, pacing as he ate.

"Let me get this straight," he said, "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving a seat for Crouch, right?"

"Right," the four friends answered.

"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"

"No, he didn't," Elizabeth said, "A bit odd, when he went through all that trouble."

"My thoughts exactly," Sirius said, "But something else first." He looked over at Harry. "Did you check your pockets for your wand after you left the Top Box?"

Harry looked confused, but paused to think it over.

"No," he finally said, "I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars."

"You think whoever was behind the Mark stole Harry's wand during the match?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's possible," Sirius said.

"Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione spoke up.

"No one's saying she did, Hermione," Elizabeth said with a sigh.

"The elf wasn't the only one in that box," Sirius said, looking at the four, "Who else was sitting behind you?"

"Loads of people," Harry said, "Some Bulgarian ministers...Cornelius Fudge...the Malfoys..."

"The Malfoys!" Ron straightened, his voice echoing in the cave, "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"

Elizabeth wasn't so sure. Draco Malfoy had practically told them his father was one of the masked men terrorizing the Muggles. That meant he was one of the ones who ran when the Mark was conjured.

"Anyone else?" Sirius asked.

"Ludo Bagman," Elizabeth said, "But I doubt he's behind it. He's a bit...Well, I've always gotten the impression he doesn't pay much attention to something unless it's about him. When we ran into him in the woods, he didn't even realize anything was going on at first."

"When the Dark Mark had been conjured," Sirius went on, "And the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"

"Went to look in the bushes," Harry said, "But there wasn't anyone else there."

"Of course. He'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf...and then he sacked her?"

"Yes, he sacked her," Hermione hissed, "Just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled—"

"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf," Ron snapped.

"She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron," Sirius said, finishing off another chicken leg, "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

Sirius paused for a moment, running a hand over his face as he sat down.

"All these absences of Barty Crouch's..." he said slowly, "He goes to the trouble of making sure his house elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too...It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak."

"D'you know Crouch, then?" Harry asked, and a dark look fell over Sirius's face. Elizabeth was reminded of the months before when she'd woken up in the Shrieking Shack and found Sirius there in the room with her, believing he was a mad-man wanting to kill her best friend.

"Oh, I know Crouch all right. He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban—without a trial."

"_What_?"

"Crouch used to be head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?"

Elizabeth and the others shook their heads. Elizabeth knew her mother wasn't too fond of Crouch and he was a man who held rules to the letter, but that was the extent of what she knew about the man.

"He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic," Sirius went on, "He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical—and power-hungry."

"And he wasn't a Death Eater?" Elizabeth asked in surprise.

"No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side," Sirius shook his head, "But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side...well, you wouldn't understand...you're too young..."

"That's what my dad said at the World Cup," Ron said irritably, "Try us, won't you?"

Sirius grinned at them for a moment, but then his face sobered again.

"All right, I'll try you...Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now," Sirius said(Elizabeth and Ron flinched at the name), "You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing...the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere...panic...confusion...that's how it used to be."

Elizabeth shuddered at the thought, glancing to her friends. Ron was frowning, Harry looked lost in thought, and Hermione's face was pale.

"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others," Sirius went on, "Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning—I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measurements against Voldemort's supporters." (Elizabeth winced again) "The Aurors were given new powers—powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you—plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened...Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."

"His own son?" Elizabeth asked weakly, "A Death Eater?"

"No idea if he was actually a Death Eater or not," Sirius said with a shrug, now tearing into a loaf of bread, "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out sine I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters—but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house elf."

"Did Crouch try to get his son off?" Hermione asked quietly. Sirius laughed.

"Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again—doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy...then he sent him straight to Azkaban."

Elizabeth felt sick at the thought. Doing that to one's own family...

"He gave his own son to the dementors?" Harry asked, sounding disgusted.

"That's right," Sirius said dryly, "I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though...They all went quiet in the end...except when they shrieked in their sleep..."

Sirius trailed off, seeming lost in thought as a dark look came over his face.

"So he's still in Azkaban?" Harry asked.

"No. No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."

"He _died_?"

"He wasn't the only one," Sirius said bitterly, "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barry Crouch, half-carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."

Sirius paused long enough to down the entire flask of pumpkin juice in one go before he wiped his mouth and continued.

"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made. One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic...Next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic towards the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

Elizabeth felt sick, shaking her head in disgust. Though she couldn't help but wonder what she would have done. If she were a parent, and found out her own child did such unspeakable things...If it meant protecting innocents, could she send her own family to a place like Azkaban? Someone she raised from a baby? She thought of little Ursula, barley more than a year old now. If she watched her cousin grow up, then found out she was into Dark Magic...

"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards," Harry spoke up finally, jerking Elizabeth from her thoughts.

"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," Sirius said, "If you ask me, he still things he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."

"Harry said Crouch sneaked up to the castle and was searching Snape's office in the middle of the night a couple of months ago," Elizabeth said.

"Yeah, and that doesn't make sense at all," Sirius replied, shaking his head, "If Crouch wanted to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament? It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."

"So you think Snape could be up to something, then?" Harry asked and Hermione gave a short huff.

"Look, I don't care what you say," she said, "Dumbledore trusts Snape—"

"Oh give it a rest, Hermione," Ron cut her off, "I know Dumbledore's brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him—"

"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then? Why didn't he just let him die?"

"I dunno—maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out—"

"What d'you think, Sirius?" Harry raised his voice. Elizabeth silently thanked him as Ron and Hermione fell silent.

"I think they've both got a point," Sirius said slowly, glancing between the two, "Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was." (Elizabeth saw Ron and Harry exchange smirks and she rolled her eyes.) "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters. Rosier and Wilkes—they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges—they're a married couple—they're in Azkaban. Avery—from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse—he's still at large But as far as I know, Snape was never even accused of being a Death Eater—not that that means much Plenty of them were never caught And Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."

"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well," Ron said, "but wants to keep that quiet."

"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!" Harry turned to Sirius, "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was."

"He showed Snape something on his arm?" Sirius asked, looking extremely confused, "Well, I've not idea what that's about...But if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers..."

"But Dumbledore trusts Snape," Elizabeth said softly, "Moody said that Dumbledore's let him work here because he's giving him a second chance or something."

"Maybe whatever he did is why Crouch and Moody are so keen to get into Snape's office," Ron said, getting that tone of excitement again.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts," Sirius said, "He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure _he_ trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he couldn't help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of Death Eaters. Crouch though...he's a different matter...is he really ill If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not...what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up in the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"

The five of them fell silent again. Buckbeak was snapping up stray chicken bones nearby, his crunching on the bones the only thing breaking the silence. Elizabeth twisted the end of her shirt in her hands, glancing at the others. All of them seemed at a loss for answers.

"Do you think Percy might know something?" Elizabeth asked finally, glancing at Ron.

"Maybe, I can try asking," Ron said, though he didn't sound hopeful, "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch."

"And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it," Sirius picked up the second _Daily Prophet_ paper he had.

"Bagman told me they hadn't," Harry said simply.

"Yes, he's quoted in the article there," Sirius said, "Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's chanced since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all—quite the reverse."

"Mum said the same thing," Elizabeth said, "She was in the same year as her, said Bertha Jorkins was a huge gossiper, but she'd never forget anything."

"Sounds about right," Sirius said with a nod, "It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic...Maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for so long..." He sighed, shaking his head. "What's the time?"

"It's half-past three," Hermione said, checking her watch.

"You'd better get back to the school," Sirius pushed himself to his feet, stepping closer to Harry, "Now listen...I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not going to leave Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you."

"No one's tried to attack me so far," Harry said, "Well, except for a dragon and a couple of grindylows."

Elizabeth couldn't help but grin at that. Sirius, however, wasn't as amused.

"I don't care," he said with a frown, "I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay? Come on, I'll walk to the edge of the village with you, see if I can scrounge another paper."

Sirius, in seconds, was a giant black dog again and trotting down along the path with the four students. Once they reached Hogsmeade again, they each patted him on the head before heading off through the village and towards the castle.

"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron asked, "But maybe he doesn't care...It'd probably just make him admore Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."

"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors," Hermione said sharply.

"I'm not sure I could do it," Elizabeth said, "But I can't help but wonder...I mean, Mr. Crouch might have done it for the wrong reasons, to separate himself from a bad reputation...But if someone you knew, someone in your family was a Death Eater? Putting them in Azkaban could save innocent lives, but they're still your family..."

Ron and Harry were both frowning and Hermione looked pale. Elizabeth sighed again, and with that sobering thought hanging over them, the four reached the warmth of Hogwarts and headed in, their stomachs growling slightly at the smell of dinner.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**_

Even though Ron sent off a letter to Percy immediately the following morning, they didn't receive a response as quickly. Elizabeth found herself falling into a routine as one month became two, and summer began to roll in. Everything was so quiet, so normal, that Elizabeth could almost forget about the Triwizard Tournament. The only thing different was the fact that Hermione had taken up a vendetta about trying to learn how Skeeter was getting her information about the goings-on of Hogwarts when she was banned from the grounds. Harry once mentioned bugging—which Elizabeth had learned was a Muggle way of eavesdropping—but Hermione shot it down by saying Muggle electronics didn't work at Hogwarts.

When Percy's reply finally did come near the end of Easter Holidays, it was merely a short message about how he didn't know anything and not to ask again. Elizabeth had been tempted to write her mother and ask if there had been any sign of Mr. Crouch at St. Mungo's, but she always thought better of it thinking of her mother's reaction to her poking into someone else's business like this.

As May started to come to an end, Elizabeth's brief moment of pretending it was a normal school year ended as well. One month before the final task, Harry and Cedric had to go down and meet Mr. Bagman at the Quidditch pitch to learn what the final task would be. It was late in the afternoon, after dark actually, so Elizabeth was staying in the Hufflepuff common room. She was trying to concentrate on the conversation with her friends, but her stomach was tying into familiar knots of dread...

"What do you think the final task will be?" Hannah was asking, "Hopefully something more exciting to watch than the last one. It's boring when we can't see what the champions are doing."

"And we know Cedric is going to pull out the win on this," Ernie added, "We're so close!"

There was a round of agreement and Elizabeth grinned, though she was beginning to feel torn. Cedric and Harry were tied for first place. Cedric was a fellow Hufflepuff, her brother's best friend, and honestly her friend as well. But Harry? Well, he was honestly her closest friend, even more than Ron and Hermione, no matter how much she treasured their friendships. She told him more than she told anyone else. He knew about her odd feelings when she didn't tell Ron or Hermione.

Like the odd feeling she'd been getting all afternoon. The same feelings she'd get when something bad was about to happen. A sickening pit in her stomach that made her antsy, and she constantly found herself looking up to the nearby windows over their heads, even though all she could see was grass.

Cedric came back into the common room not too long after and he was grinning as the common room erupted into applause for him. Elizabeth thought they were overdoing it, just welcoming back Cedric from finding out what the final task would be, but she joined in anyway.

"So, what're you doing, Ced?" Lewis called from where he was sitting with Susan on the other side of the common room.

"Apparently, they're growing a maze out on the Quidditch pitch," Cedric said, then at an outcry, "Don't worry! Mr. Bagman promised we'll have the pitch back to normal afterwards! But we're going to have to get through the maze and get to the center. First one there gets full marks."

Now that didn't sound too hard. Elizabeth knew that there was going to be more to it. Creatures and spells, most likely. But Elizabeth still felt sick, her stomach tying into the knots of dread. This hadn't been what she was worried about. Something was still going to happen...

"I think I'm going to head to bed," Elizabeth said as she got up, "Goodnight, you two."

Ernie and Hannah bade Elizabeth goodnight and she headed off to her room, but she didn't go to sleep. She was wanting to get away and be somewhere quiet for a bit. Cream was on Elizabeth's bed and Elizabeth scratched her behind the ears before lying on her bed.

It was nearly half an hour later, Elizabeth still awake, when she heard Harry's voice coming from the mirror laying in her schoolbag nearby. Elizabeth scrambled for it and pulled the mirror up, noticing Harry's pale face. The sickening feeling was still in Elizabeth's stomach, but it was lessoning some.

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked, knowing something had to have.

"After Mr. Bagman told us about the final task," Harry started, "We were heading back to the castle, and Krum wanted to talk to me. We had stepped aside to the edge of the forest—"

"Are you crazy?" Ron's voice was out of view—Elizabeth always could only see one person in the mirror at a time, "Going alone into the forest with Krum?"

"Honestly, Ron!" it was Hermione this time, "Viktor wouldn't do anything to Harry!"

"_What happened?_" Elizabeth asked again.

"We ran into Mr. Crouch," Harry said. Elizabeth was confused.

"Mr. Crouch? Here?"

"Yeah, but he...Well, he seemed out of his mind. He kept rambling and seemed to think he was talking to Percy. Then he'd suddenly be lucid and aware of where he was, he said he needed to speak to Dumbledore, to warn him..."

"Did you talk to Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"Well, yes. Krum stayed with Mr. Crouch while I came up to the castle. Snape wouldn't let me in his office, kept saying I was talking nonsense. But Professor Dumbledore finally came out, I was able to tell him what was going on. When we got back out to the grounds, however, Mr. Crouch was gone, and Krum was unconscious."

Elizabeth heard Hermione gasp on the other side of the mirror. She must have had some sort of worried look, because Harry's face changed and he continued quickly.

"He's fine! He was just Stunned," he went on, "He said Mr. Crouch attacked him. Moody appeared, and Hagrid and Karkaroff. Moody went looking for Mr. Crouch and Hagrid brought me up here to the common room."

"What did Mr. Crouch want to talk to Dumbledore about?" Elizabeth asked slowly.

"He..." Harry paused, and Elizabeth noticed he was staring at her, then he looked away, probably towards Ron and Hermione, "He said it was about Voldemort. That he's getting stronger."

Elizabeth flinched at the name, though she felt herself going cold. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was getting stronger? Did that mean he was coming back? He couldn't be, could he?

It seemed to be a topic Elizabeth and her friends didn't want to get too deep into. Instead, they talked about Mr. Crouch. Elizabeth even moved back into the common room as her roommates went on to bed—Hannah giving her a confused look since she'd said she was going to bed shortly before. They talked through the night, and as morning came, Harry said he was going to write Sirius. Elizabeth told him she'd meet him in the Owlery and changed quickly before heading out, the castle quiet in the early dawn of morning. It gave Elizabeth an uneasy feeling having the castle so quiet, but she couldn't quite place her finger on why. She ignored it, making it finally to the Owlery where Harry, Ron, and Hermione already were, still talking about Mr. Crouch.

"It comes down to this," Hermione was saying, her voice weak from exhaustion, "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking."

"It must've been Crouch," Ron said, "That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner."

Harry, who had been tying a letter to one of the school owls, shook his head. He noticed Elizabeth and gave her a weak grin.

"I don't think so," he said, turning back to Ron, "He seemed really weak—I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything."

"You _can't_ Disaparate on Hogwarts grounds," Hermione said irritably, "Haven't I told you enough times?"

"What about Mr. Crouch?" Elizabeth asked, "You said he wanted to talk to Dumbledore. Maybe someone attacked him for that?"

"Maybe..." Harry leaned against the wall of the Owlery, rubbing his eyes, "But I don't know why. He wasn't making much sense. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault...He mentioned his son."

"Well, that _was_ his fault," Hermione snapped.

Elizabeth shook her head and leaned on the window next to Harry, staring out over the grounds. In the back of her mind, she found herself very aware that her arm was brushing against his and her stomach did a small flip, but she couldn't bring herself to step away.

"He was out of his mind," Harry said(Elizabeth glanced over to him), "Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions."

"And..." Elizabeth sighed. She didn't want to bring this back to the conversation, but they'd exhausted everything else. "And he said that You-Know-Who is getting stronger?"

"Yeah," Harry whispered, and they all fell silent. Elizabeth watched Harry closely. He was rubbing his eyes, and she knew he had to be tired. They all were.

"But he was out of his mind, like you said," Ron said, trying to sound hopeful but it didn't carry through, "So half of it was probably just raving..."

"He was the sanest when he was trying to talk about Voldemort," Harry said and Elizabeth and Ron both winced. Harry glanced at Elizabeth, and she felt heat rush to her face realizing with her arm against his, he had probably felt it against him.

"He was having real trouble stringing two words together," Harry went on, turning back to the others, "That was when he seemed to know where he was, and know what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore."

Harry sighed, looking up to stare at the rafters. Elizabeth stayed next to him, watching him carefully. She turned away from the window finally, facing the others fully.

"If Snape hadn't held me up, we might've got there in time," Harry said bitterly, "'The headmaster is busy, Potter...What's this rubbish, Potter?' Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to get there!" Ron said, straightening up, "Maybe—hang on—how fast d'you reckon he could've gotten down to the forest? D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore down there?"

"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," Harry said.

"Wouldn't put it past him."

"We need to see Professor Moody," Hermione said, "We need to find out whether he found Mr. Crouch."

"If he had the Marauder's Map on him, it would've been easy," Harry replied.

They didn't get to say anything else, as they heard two familiar voices coming up the stairway.

"—that's blackmail, that is, we could get into a lot of trouble for that—"

"—we've tried being polite; it's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did—"

"I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!"

"Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?"

Fred and George came into the Owlery, but froze when they saw the others. Instantly, they all started speaking at once.

"What're you doing here?"

"Sending a letter."

"What, at this time?"

They all stared at each other for a moment, then Fred started grinning.

"Fine—we won't ask you what you're doing, if you don't ask us," he said, giving them a joking bow as he motioned to the door, "Well, don't let us hold you up."

"Who're you blackmailing?" Ron asked, watching his brothers closely.

Fred frowned, glancing towards his twin.

"Don't be stupid, I was only joking," George said simply.

"Didn't sound like that."

"I've told you before, Ron," Fred took a step closer, "Keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but—"

"It's my business if you're blackmailing someone," Ron cut in, "George's right, you could end up in serious trouble for that."

Elizabeth glanced at her friends, stepping back and just watching Ron with his brothers. She had a feeling this was something to stay out of.

"Told you, I was joking," George said, going to attach his letter to an owl, "You're starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron. Carry on like this and you'll be made prefect."

"No, I won't!"

"Well, stop telling people what to do then," Fred said as George let the owl take flight, "See you later."

They disappeared out the door with that and Elizabeth felt uncomfortable with what had just happened, looking to her friends.

"You don't think they know something about all this, do you?" Hermione asked softly, "About Crouch and everything?"

"I doubt it," Elizabeth said, "I mean, they're trouble makers, but they know where to draw the line. If it was something serious, they'd go to Dumbledore."

Ron didn't look as convinced.

"I dunno if they would," he said slowly, "They're...They're obsessed with making money lately, I noticed it when I was hanging around with them—when—you know—"

"When we weren't talking," Harry said with a shrug. Apparently it was water under the bridge for him. "But this is blackmail."

"It's this joke shop idea they've got," Ron sighed, "I thought they were only saying it to annoy Mum, but they really mean it, they want to start one. They've only got a year left at Hogwarts, they keep going on about how it's time they think about their future, and Dad can't help them, and they need gold to get started."

"But...This is illegal," Elizabeth said softly, staring after the twins.

"They wouldn't do anything against the law to get gold," Hermione said uncertainly.

"Wouldn't they?" Ron asked, "I dunno...They don't exactly mind breaking rules, do they?"

"I know, but like I said, they know where to draw the line," Elizabeth pointed out, "This isn't a school rule. This is the law."

"You need to tell Percy," Hermione added.

"Are you mad? Tell Percy?" Ron rolled his eyes, "He'd probably do a Crouch and turn them in." Ron paused, sighing. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."

Elizabeth's stomach growled at the thought of food and she eagerly went down the stairs after her friends.

"D'you think it's too early to go see Professor Moody?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry answered instantly, He'd probably blast us through the door if we wake him at the crack of dawn; he'll think we're trying to attack him while he's asleep."

"I have Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing," Elizabeth said, "I can ask him about Mr. Crouch after class."

"Thanks," Harry said, "We'll meet you at the usual place for break and you can tell us what he says."

Elizabeth nodded, parting from her friends when they reached the Great Hall and she went to the Hufflepuff table, eager for a warm breakfast.

It was hard to concentrate in Defense Against the Dark Arts—a bad situation when Professor Moody was teaching. Thankfully the class had been one that wasn't practical application. Moody apparently was as tired as Elizabeth and her friends felt, he must have been out most the night looking for Mr. Crouch. When the bell finally rang, Elizabeth gathered her things and went up to the desk, taking a deep breath. Moody always made her nervous, even after being in his class for so long.

"Hello, Professor," Elizabeth said slowly, "Um...Harry told me about everything last night, and he wanted me to ask you—"

"If I found Crouch?" Moody growled, "No, I didn't."

"Oh, okay," Elizabeth said, straightening up some, "Do you have any idea what happened? I mean, did someone take him, or did he escape on his own?"

"Anything's possible," Moody said, "I can't say for sure. Listen, tell Potter not to worry about this. He needs to keep his mind on the third task. Help him practice."

Elizabeth nodded.

"Okay, thank you professor," she said slowly, "I should get going."

She'd just reached the door when Moody called to her and Elizabeth jumped a little before turning around.

"Sir?"

"Stick close to Potter," he said, "I'm keeping an eye on things, but all the same...You can never have too many eyes out."

"Y-yes sir," Elizabeth said, turning and heading on out the room. She made her way out to the grounds and found Harry, Ron, and Hermione out under a tree by the lake. She went over to them instantly and quickly explained what Moody had told her.

**xxxxx**

The next morning, Elizabeth was eating breakfast at the Gryffindor table, hoping to catch Sirius's reply when Harry got it instead of waiting in the entrance hall. Sure enough, the owl they sent out landed in front of Harry at the same time as Hermione received a copy of the _Daily Prophet_—she was apparently taking a subscription to it now.

"Skeeter hasn't gotten wind of Crouch yet," Hermione said, sounding relieved as she looked back to Harry, "What's Snuffles say?"

Harry quickly unfolded the letter and Elizabeth leaned close to read over his shoulder.

_Harry—what do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest with Viktor Krum? I want you to swear, by return owl, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night. There is somebody highly dangerous at Hogwarts. It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed._

_Your name didn't get into the Goblet of Fire by accident. If someone's trying to attack you, they're on their last chance. Stay close to Ron, Hermione, and Elizabeth, do not leave the Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn't go amiss either. There's nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourself. I'm waiting for your letter giving me your word you won't stray out-of-bounds again._

_Sirius_

"Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?" Harry asked in an irritated tone as he pocketed his letter, "After all that stuff he did at school!"

"He's worried about you!" Hermione hissed, "Just like Moody and Hagrid! So listen to them!"

"No one's tried to attack me all year," Harry said.

"Not directly," Elizabeth said, "But someone put your name in that goblet. They probably expected the dragon to finish you off, or something in the lake..."

Elizabeth felt sick at the thought.

"Look, let's say Sirius is right, and someone Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch," Harry said shortly, "Well, they _would've_ been in the trees near us, wouldn't they? But they waited till I was out of the way until they acted, didn't they? So it doesn't look like I'm their target, does it?"

"Considering they were hiding," Elizabeth said, "They don't want to draw attention. Attacking you would be too much trouble. They waited until you were gone so they only had one person they had to deal with. If Krum had gone up to the castle instead, they probably would have Stunned you."

Harry frowned at that, but didn't say anything.

"You've got to train for the third task, straight away," Hermione said, leaning closer to Harry, her face pale, "And you make sure to write back to Sirius and promise him you're not going to sneak off again."

Again, Harry didn't say anything, but he did nod as he looked off to the enchanted ceiling reflecting a clear sky outside.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight:**_

Elizabeth had hoped that the events of the night before would be the end of things, but it turned out she was wrong. She was in the Hufflepuff common room, staying to herself in a corner as she worked on a Divination essay—Susan and Lewis were out enjoying the warm weather, and Ernie and Hannah were at a Gobstones Club meeting. Elizabeth was just finishing up her second paragraph on the effects of star alignments when she heard Harry's voice coming from her bag. Elizabeth looked up around the room, but was relieved to see no one noticed, and she quickly fished the little mirror from her bag and leaned over it.

"Is everything okay?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"I just got back from talking to Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, "I...fell asleep in Divination and had this dream, and woke up with my scar hurting so I went to talk to Dumbledore, like Snuffles wanted me to. But while I was waiting, I noticed this thing in his office—he called it a pensieve. I guess my curiosity got the better of me, and I went to investigate it...I ended up being pulled into Dumbledore's memories."

"Mum's told me about a pensieve before," Elizabeth said in a bit of awe, "They're really rare, letting the owner examine memories very clearly. Dumbledore has one?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded a little, "He had memories of past cases Crouch had resided over. One of them was Karkaroff's, where he was giving names of Death Eaters so he could get out of Azkaban, after Moody had caught him in the first place—"

"No wonder Moody hates him," Ron said, his voice coming from out of view, "Go through all that work, just to have him let free..."

"Yeah," Harry said, shaking his head, "He named Snape, but Dumbledore said that Snape had turned spy for the Ministry before Voldemort fell."

Elizabeth flinched a little, but she watched Harry. It wasn't surprising at all to learn Snape had been a Death Eater, but the idea that he was a spy? She doubted it, unless he was spying _for_ He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named instead of against him.

Karkaroff hadn't been the only trial Harry had seen—Harry told them about watching the trial of Ludo Bagman, who had apparently been tricked into being an informant, thinking he was helping the Ministry. He saw Rita Skeeter much younger there, reporting on the case. He told them about how Dumbledore found Harry and pulled him out of the memories and back to his office.

"I talked to Dumbledore afterwards," Harry said, "Told him about my dream. I asked him about it...He agrees, he thinks Voldemort is gaining power."

"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron's voice was so quiet, Elizabeth barely heard it, "And he trusts Snape? He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," Harry replied, sinking back in a chair.

Elizabeth had propped her mirror against a book by now, and the common room was now empty aside from her, as everyone had gone to bed. The room was dark now, as the sun had set and all the light was coming from the lamps and the nearby fireplace.

"How can you be worrying about her now?" Ron suddenly asked and Harry was staring off to the side from the mirror. Elizabeth gave him a confused look.

"Worried about who?" she asked.

"Rita Skeeter," Hermione said, taking the mirror from Harry so now Elizabeth was looking at her, "I'm not worrying about her. I'm just thinking. Remember what she said to me at the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl'. This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember...'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard'. Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."

"But Harry said that Bagman didn't mean to pass information," Elizabeth pointed out, "He thought he was gathering information for the Ministry."

They were all quiet, Elizabeth listening to the ticking of a clock nearby. She glanced up at it, her eyes widening when she realized it was after midnight.

"We should all get to bed," she said, turning back to the mirror, "Sorry we didn't get to practice any today, Harry."

The mirror moved again and it seemed Harry had taken it from Hermione. He was watching Elizabeth through the glass now.

"You really don't have to help, you know," he said, then quickly glanced to Hermione and Ron, "Any of you." He looked back to Hermione. "But you've got Cedric to support, too. You don't have to help me."

Elizabeth grinned softly. Harry had already told her this before. And she was going to reply the same way she did before.

"Yes, but Cedric is a sixth year who already knows all these hexes and spells we're going to be practicing," she said, "It's only fair you be caught up. Besides, you know how rubbish I've been with Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Charms. This will help me improve, too."

And the practices were helping. Over the next month, Elizabeth slowly began getting better with her wand work. Elizabeth found herself pretty good with a Reductor Curse (to the point after one afternoon, Elizabeth heard Ron muttering to Harry that Elizabeth was a bit frightening with it) but she struggled with the Impediment Curse. Harry, however, had managed to get a good handle on both. Hermione, obviously, was becoming a quick expert on everything and Ron, like Elizabeth, was more hit-and-miss.

A week before the final task, however, as final exams were beginning, Elizabeth had a problem that was interfering with her concentration. In both exams and practicing spells.

She was having nightmares again. Or more specifically, one nightmare. The same one, every single night. One she'd already had once before and ignored.

Once again, she was hurrying her way through the Hogwarts corridors, pushing through crowds of students. As every time she had this dream, they were silent, their heads bowed. A heavy feeling was pressing down on Elizabeth as she pushed her way against the flow. Again, she ended up in the Great Hall that was eerily void of anything save the coffin in the center of the room. She'd head for it, footsteps echoing. She'd reach for the lid...

She stopped herself. Something in the back of her mind told her she wouldn't want to know what was inside, yet another part of her told her she _needed_ to know. Her entire body was shaking. Slowly, she reached forward, her hand touching the cool, black surface of the unmarked coffin. Taking a deep breath, she began to push it open.

"What're you doing here?" a familiar voice growled behind her. Elizabeth spun around quickly; there was a flash of green light—

Elizabeth woke with a start. She lay in bed, shivering despite the warmth of the room. Sunlight was beginning to filter in from the high windows, but her roommates were still asleep. Daylight, but not time for them to get ready for their final exam. For Elizabeth, that would be Muggle Studies.

The dream had been different this time. She had always woken up when she had reached the coffin before. This time, she'd opened it, and someone had attacked...Elizabeth closed her eyes, thinking hard, trying to capture the last bit of her dream in memory. She felt if she moved, that part would drift away to nothingness. The voice had been so familiar, but now she couldn't place why. She couldn't place where she'd heard it before...And who was in the coffin? Try as she might, Elizabeth couldn't remember if she'd gotten a look at the face of whoever was in it, if it was someone she knew...

Elizabeth sighed and grabbed her glasses, pushing them on. As she sat up, an overwhelming sensation suddenly squeezing down on her. Her entire body shook and when she tried to stand, she found herself collapsing to the floor instead. She tried to grab her bed to steady herself, but all she managed to grab was a handful of curtain that came down with her.

She groaned slightly, and then heard voices. Apparently she'd woken up the others. Elizabeth glanced up to see all four of her roommates were gathered around her, even Sally-Anne and Megan who, until that moment, tried to pretend Elizabeth didn't exist.

"Elizabeth? Are you okay?" Hannah asked worriedly, reaching to help Elizabeth untangle herself from the bed curtains.

Elizabeth tried to open her mouth to say she was fine, but instead all that came was a retching noise as a pain tightened around her stomach. She didn't throw up, but it was enough that the other girls stepped back a bit, just in case she would have.

"Come on, we should get you up to the hospital wing," Susan said, moving forward first and helping Elizabeth to her feet, "Something's wrong."

"M'fine," Elizabeth muttered, "Got exams..."

"There's no way you can take an exam in this state," Sally-Anne said gently, "Come on."

Elizabeth tried to protest but when there were four other girls insisting, she had no choice to go up to the hospital wing. She apparently still seemed in a visibly bad shape—she knew she was shaking still—because Madam Pomfrey ushered her to a bed instantly and refused to let her roommates stay.

In a way, Elizabeth was glad that she was bound to the hospital wing now. Even though Madam Pomfrey gave her a potion that settled her nausea and calmed her nerves some, that sickening, twisting feeling wouldn't leave Elizabeth's stomach. Her nightmare kept replaying in her mind, and she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her exam. Elizabeth got a visit from Professor Burbage halfway through breakfast, who told her not to worry about the exam and just focus on feeling better. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude to her Muggle Studies professor for that part.

Madam Pomfrey insisted on Elizabeth try to get some rest, but the problem with that was any time Elizabeth closed her eyes, she saw the images from her nightmare again. She couldn't get to sleep, not with her mind obsessing on the dream she'd already had. The more she tried to focus on it, however, the more the details seemed to slip away. It was incredibly frustrating.

Elizabeth wanted to talk to Harry about her dream, but she also knew he had enough to worry about with the task that afternoon. She couldn't help but think this had something to do with that night, though, and felt she needed to warn him of...something. Maybe she didn't have to tell him about the dream, just tell him she was having one of her odd feelings...

She didn't get a chance to talk to Harry, however, until lunch. Madam Pomfrey was refusing to let her leave the hospital wing—Elizabeth would still get incredibly dizzy and nauseous if she stood up—so she had to wait for Harry to visit her. He came on his own, surprisingly, and Elizabeth quickly asked where Ron and Hermione were.

"Bill and Mrs. Weasley are here to watch the tournament," Harry said, "Ron's with his family. Hermione went to the library—long story," he added when Elizabeth opened her mouth to ask, "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I...woke up sick this morning," Elizabeth whispered, glancing to make sure Madam Pomfrey wasn't able to overhear, "_Really_ sick."

Harry seemed to pick up on Elizabeth's tone.

"A warning?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah...I...I've never felt _this_ bad before, Harry..." Elizabeth's voice was weak now, "Something is going to happen...I...Please be careful out there, okay? Tell Cedric I said to be careful, too. I'm worried about both of you..."

"I'll be careful, I promise," Harry said, then grinned, "We trained hard for this. I think I can actually win this now."

Elizabeth couldn't help but grin a little herself. Harry was right. They'd spent the last month helping him prepare for this. Cedric had years more training. They would both be fine, they had to be.

Yet, half an hour later when Harry left again and Elizabeth was alone to her thoughts, she couldn't help but think about that black coffin and the familiar voice and that sickening feeling sank in all over again...

**xxxxx**

By dinner, Madam Pomfrey seemed to think Elizabeth was well enough to leave the hospital wing but under express orders to take it easy. Elizabeth agreed, wanting to be able to watch the final task after dinner. She was worried about Cedric, about Harry...

Everyone in the Great Hall was chatting excitedly, and Elizabeth wished she could join them. Instead, all she could think about was her dream and the task coming. She found herself answering automatically when her fellow Hufflepuffs all asked if she was okay, telling each of them she was fine. Lewis came by to try and talk, but Elizabeth was barely aware of his presence. She kept looking towards Cedric, talking happily with others nearby, to Harry over with the Weasleys and Hermione. She couldn't help but worry about what if the dream had been about one of them.

'_But Dumbledore made sure the tasks would be safe,'_ Elizabeth tried to tell herself. He wouldn't let anything happen to anyone on the grounds...

Finally, the time came that the tournament's final task was going to take place. Elizabeth had wished both Harry and Cedric luck, and asked both of them (again) to be careful. That was all she could do. Warn them to be careful. She was shaking as she followed the rest of the Hufflepuffs down to the stands, and Susan and Lewis both had noticed.

"You okay, Liz?" Lewis asked, "You're really pale. Maybe you should go back up to the hospital wing?"

"I want to watch the task," Elizabeth said, "I'll be okay."

When they reached the Quidditch pitch, they could see the hedges that would make up the maze had grown to twenty feet tall now. Elizabeth realized why they needed to the Quidditch pitch, and everyone rising into the stands. They wouldn't be able to see much down at ground level.

Elizabeth, Susan, and Lewis managed to get seats along the front of the box. Even from an aerial view, however, with night setting in they couldn't see anything in the maze.

"It's going to be like the lake all over again, isn't it?" Susan asked with a sigh.

Elizabeth didn't care. She just wanted to be here, to know her friends were doing okay in the task. She needed to be here. She just wished the sickening dread feeling she had would lessen.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Bagman's amplified voice echoed around the stands, "The third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each—Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!"

Elizabeth clapped with the rest, but she couldn't seem to pull out the energy to scream and cheer with the others. She looked down to the figures of Cedric and Harry in the dark, near the entrance to the maze with Fleur and Krum.

"In second place, with eighty points—Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place—Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!

"So...on my whistle, Harry and Cedric! Three—two—one—"

Elizabeth felt her stomach lurch as she watched Harry and Cedric disappear into the maze. Ten minutes later, Krum and Fleur were in the maze as well. All they could do now was wait...

A wait that was agonizing to sit through. Everyone around Elizabeth kept talking and theorizing what was in the maze, what the champions were up against. Each one only made Elizabeth feel worse. She kept her eyes locked on the maze, feeling as if she couldn't move.

"They're fine, Liz," Lewis said after half an hour, "Ced's Quidditch captain and Prefect, and I bet you anything next year he'll make Head Boy. He's strong, nothing's going to get him and he'll be walking out of that maze soon with the Triwizard Cup and winning the tournament for Hogwarts."

Elizabeth hoped Lewis was right. She'd love for Cedric or Harry to win, and would especially love Hufflepuff to get some recognition. Still, she couldn't ignore the sickening dread twisting in her stomach.

Fleur and Krum were pulled from the maze not too long after. Elizabeth frowned, wondering what happened. But it also meant that Harry and Cedric were the only ones left. No matter what, Hogwarts would win the tournament, but that was the furthest thing from Elizabeth's mind. The feeling of dread was lessoning, but all that meant was that whatever it had been warning her about had happened. Those only made Elizabeth feel worse. What had happened? Were Harry and Cedric okay?

"Elizabeth, you look really pale..." Susan said slowly, watching her closely, "Are you okay? Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey. We'll let you know who gets the cup."

"Come on, I'll take you," Lewis said as he got up, "I'm not taking no for an answer."

Elizabeth frowned, but knew she wasn't going to win this argument. She got up, but insisted she could head back on her own before she started back down through the stands and to ground level, and around the edge of the maze. She passed Professor Sprout, who was patrolling the edge, and she stopped Elizabeth to ask what was wrong.

"I haven't been feeling well," Elizabeth muttered, "Not since I woke up...I was going to go back up to the hospital wing."

"Take care, Miss Martin," Professor Sprout said. Elizabeth nodded and headed off, just reaching the edge of the maze when there was a sight that made her stumble to a stop, her entire body going cold.

Harry and Cedric were back, but both of them were lying on the ground. Dumbledore had started over and Harry was moving—Elizabeth felt a rush of relief—his hand grabbing Dumbledore's arm and he seemed to be saying something. Elizabeth's eyes went to Cedric and her heart started racing. He was lying still, his face slack and his eyes open and unfocused...Cornelius Fudge was hurrying towards them, and what he said next was the worst thing imaginable:

"Diggory! Dumbledore—he's dead!"

Cedric...Dead? Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, her entire body went sickingly cold, trembling all over. Her vision was swarming, the world blurring around her. Her knees gave out, and everything went black.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**_

When Elizabeth opened her eyes, she was in the hospital wing again. For a wild, fleeting moment, she found herself thinking the events of the third task had been just a horrible dream, but then she heard voices nearby. Slowly, Elizabeth sat up and pushed her glasses on, and could see Hermione and Ron nearby with Mrs. Weasley and Bill, all four of them arguing with Madam Pomfrey. Nearby, to Elizabeth's shock, Mad-Eye Moody was on one of the beds, his false leg and eye lying on the table next to him.

The sight of an unconscious teacher brought everything back. The sound of her friends arguing with the nurse nearby seemed so far away, barely audible as Elizabeth sat on her bed, feeling sick. Cedric was dead. Cedric, her friend. Her brother's _best_ friend. The sickening feeling worsened. Where was Lewis? How was he handling this? She needed to get back to her House. She needed to be there...

"Harry! Oh Harry!"

Elizabeth looked up, jerked from her thoughts to see Harry and Dumbledore had come in, Dumbledore now standing between her friend and Mrs. Weasley. Elizabeth stared at Harry past the headmaster and her chest tightened. He looked...Well, he looked horrible. His face was pale, his robes were dirty and ripped in several places, and he just looked...Empty.

'_He's alive, though,'_ a voice said in the back of her mind. Unlike Cedric...Elizabeth squashed the thought.

"Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight," Dumbledore said, "He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him, you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."

Mrs. Weasley gave a nod, rounding to the others. Elizabeth noticed she was very pale.

"Did you hear? He needs quiet!"

"Headmaster, may I ask what—"

"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," Dumbledore said, "I assure you, he is extremely well trained."

Elizabeth had been so focused on Harry that she hadn't even noticed the large, black dog next to her friend. What was Sirius doing here? Had he been watching the task?

"I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry," Dumbledore was saying, "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school."

Dumbledore left and Madam Pomfrey started to lead Harry to a bed next to Elizabeth's. When he saw her, he started to open his mouth, but she knew what he was about to ask already.

"I'm okay," she said.

Harry disappeared behind a curtain to change and Elizabeth swung her legs off her bed. Luckily, Madam Pomfrey wasn't in the room—she'd disappeared into the back room for a moment—or else Elizabeth would probably be told to lay back down. Hermione and Ron were giving Elizabeth side looks and she could feel they wanted to ask questions, but were keeping quiet because of Harry.

When Harry finished changing, the others were gathering around his bed. Elizabeth started to get up—still feeling a little shaky—but Madam Pomfrey had returned. She instantly put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and pushed her back down to the bed before turning to Harry and handed him a goblet of some type of purple potion, which she insisted on Harry take for sleep. He's barely taken a few sips of it before he was falling back in the bed, eyes drooping shut. Once Madam Pomfrey was sure Harry was asleep, she suddenly turned to Elizabeth.

"I should never of let you go down to watch the third task," Madam Pomfrey said, and Elizabeth felt her face burning slightly as she became aware the others were staring at her. She had a feeling the only reason Madam Pomfrey wanted her to stay wasn't because she had fainted, but because she had already spent most of the day in the hospital wing after waking up sick that morning.

"Stay in bed," Madam Pomfrey ordered, "You should get some sleep, too. I can give you some of the potion as well—"

"I'm fine," Elizabeth said, "I'm fine."

Madam Pomfrey frowned, obviously not convinced, but she turned and headed off to where Moody was to look over him. Elizabeth looked over at Hermione and Ron, sitting there with Mrs. Weasley and Bill.

"Harry told us you got sick this morning," Hermione said softly, at the same time Lewis had come into the hospital wing.

Elizabeth's chest tightened again at the sight of her brother. Somehow, his face seemed more pale and empty than Harry's had before. He took a glance at Elizabeth before coming over to her bed and sitting on the edge of it, wordlessly hugging her. Elizabeth was surprised at first, but then she wrapped her arms around her brother in return.

And it was that comfort that seemed to break the dam. Elizabeth had been sitting in shock up until then, not really thinking about what had happened. But now there, with the comfort of her brother, everything was sinking in. Cedric was really dead. Her best friend was unconscious nearby, and there was no telling what he'd been through. And to top it all off, she was dealing with the fact she'd dreamed that this was going to happen. She'd never wanted to believe she really had the Inner Sight, it was a terrifying thought. And now she felt so selfish for being terrified of it when someone she knew so well was now dead.

Elizabeth was crying now, silently, but hard. She clung to her brother, a comfort of family, and just cried. She didn't know for how long, or really care how the others thought of her right now. Everything was just flowing out at once. Every fear she'd had throughout the year. Every bad feeling and dream she'd had but kept to herself. Grief over the loss of such a close friend...

By the time Elizabeth stopped crying, she felt more exhausted than she had in a long time. Her entire body was shaking the way it had been when she woke up that morning, but now it was from exhaustion and grief, not dread-filled sickness. As Lewis pulled away, Elizabeth could see he had been crying as well. But what was the most surprising, was the fact that Mrs. Weasley was sitting on the edge of the bed and had her hand on Elizabeth's back. When Elizabeth looked up at her, Mrs. Weasley just gave her a smile and held a handkerchief out to her.

"Th-thanks," Elizabeth muttered shakily, looking back to Lewis.

"You okay, Liz?" he asked softly. Elizabeth nodded a little. Lewis looked like he might say something else, but they heard two people arguing loudly out in the hall and they both looked up.

"Honesty! What's with them?" Hermione asked nearby(Elizabeth jerked a bit. She had forgotten the others were there) "They'll wake him if they don't shut up!"

"What are they shouting about?" Ron asked, "Nothing else can have happened, can it?"

Elizabeth gripped her brother's arm at the thought. She glanced around, then saw Harry was awake and simply wiped her face, watching him as he sat up and pushed his glasses on.

"That's Fudge's voice," Mrs. Weasley was saying nearby, "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva—"

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" Professor McGonagall was shouting. Elizabeth had never heard her so angry. "When Dumbledore finds out—"

The hospital wing doors opened and Elizabeth turned towards them to see the Minister for Magic had come in, Professor McGonagall and Snape right behind. McGonagall looked more furious than Elizabeth had ever seen her. Honestly, it was terrifying.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded, but no one got a chance to answer as Dumbledore came in the door behind him.

"What happened?" he asked, looking to Fudge, "Why are you disturbing these people?" His gaze went to Professor McGonagall, "Minerva, I'm surprised at you—I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch—"

Mr. Crouch was here? What did he have to do with anything? Elizabeth glanced around and the others looked as confused as she did—except for Harry, anyway. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

"There's no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall's voice was high, "The Minister has seen to that!"

Lewis was tense next to Elizabeth, putting his hand on her arm and she glanced to him. He was watching Professor McGonagall with a look on his face similar to the one he got when their mother began yelling—which was a rare occurrence indeed. She, like Elizabeth, was slow to anger.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape spoke up, his voice level and calm, "He seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He instead on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch—"

The words 'Death Eater', however, triggered something in Elizabeth's mind. Mr. Crouch had never been a Death Eater, but his son had. But Crouch Jr. was supposed to be dead, wasn't he? Sirius said he'd died in Azkaban. How could he still be alive?

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall shouted, "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but—"

"My dear woman!" Fudge cut her off, shouting himself, "As Minister for Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing possibly dangerous—"

"The moment that—that thing entered the room!" McGonagall raised her voice louder, "It swooped down on Crouch and—and—"

Elizabeth shuddered. Professor McGonagall didn't need to continue for them to know what she was talking about. Lewis put an arm around Elizabeth, and she leaned against him, glad for his comfort even as she still was trembling from crying herself weak.

"By all accounts, he is no loss!" Fudge said, "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. His voice was calm, but the stare he gave Fudge was as off-putting as McGonagall's anger. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it? He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

Lewis went tense at that, tightening his arm around Elizabeth. She glanced at him, not knowing at all what he had to be thinking. He didn't have the same knowledge as they did to what was going on...

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said softly(Elizabeth and Lewis both flinched), "Those people's deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The lan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."

Elizabeth felt faint, leaning more against her brother for support. Lewis' face was very white and he was staring at Dumbledore, his face unreadable. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back? What did any of this have to do with the Triwizard Tournament, or Cedric's death? Or whatever had happened to Moody, or whatever was going on with Barty Crouch?

"I...I should go check on the other Hufflepuffs," Lewis muttered, pushing himself to his feet and heading out of the room. Elizabeth's chest tightened, wishing her brother would have stayed. She looked over to Harry and found him watching her, but Dumbledore's voice brought both their attention back to the others.

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," he was saying, "We heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort—learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins—were to free him from his father and use him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort return."

So this was about Mr. Crouch's son...He'd somehow escaped Azkaban, and tried to kill Harry? Elizabeth looked over at Mad-Eye Moody. What did he have to do with all this?

"See here, Dumbledore," Fudge said slowly, an odd smile coming across his face, "You—you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who—back? Come now, come now...Certainly, Crouch may have _believed_ himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders—but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore..."

"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," Dumbledore replied(again, Elizabeth twitched at the name), "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office. I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."

Fudge paused, looking towards Harry nearby. Elizabeth glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was staring back at Fudge.

"You are—er—prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked slowly. Elizabeth stared at him. Why wouldn't they believe Harry? He had been there, after all.

"Certainly, I believe Harry," Dumbledore replied simply, his gaze steady, "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappearance last summer."

"You are prepared to believe that You-Know-Who has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who...well..."

Fudge trailed off, glancing to Harry again.

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," Harry said simply. Everyone spun to him, and Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. What did she have to do with it? Or had there been anew article that she hadn't seen?

"And if I have?" Fudge asked, straightening himself and turning to Dumbledore, "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place—"

"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" Dumbledore's voice wasn't calm anymore. There was a hard edge to it as he gave Fudge an equally hard stare.

"You admit that he has been having pains, then? Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly—hallucinations?"

"Listen to me, Cornelius," Dumbledore moved closer to the Minister for Magic, "Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by, or feeling particularly murderous."

"You'll forgive me, Dumbledore," Fudge said as he stepped away from the man, "But I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before..."

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry was the one shouting now as he started to get up, but Mrs. Weasley pushed him back down, "I saw the Death Eaters! I can five you their names! Lucius Malfoy—"

"Malfoy was cleared!" Fudge cut in, "A very old family—donations to excellent causes—"

"Macnair!"

"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"

"Avery—Nott—Crabbe—Goyle—"

"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" Fudge shouted, "You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore—the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year, too—his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them—the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"

"You fool!" Professor McGonagall shouted so loudly that Elizabeth jumped a little, "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"

At the mention of Cedric, Elizabeth tensed a little, feeling sick. She still couldn't quite believe he was just...gone.

"I see no evidence to the contrary!" Fudge was shouting himself now, "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"

"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore alone was still speaking calmly, "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation and most essential step is to remove Azkaban fro mthe control of the dementors—"

"Preposterous! Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them! They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him retaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"

Elizabeth stared at them. How would removing dementors do anything? They kept those in Azkaban from getting too strong and being able to escape. And removing them from Azkaban would only mean they'd be free to roam the country, able to attack innocents at any moment. The thought terrified Elizabeth. Maybe she should ask Harry later to teach her to cast a Patronus...

"The second step you must take—and at once—is to send envoys to the giants."

"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge looked horrified, "What madness is this?"

"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," Dumbledore said, "Or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

Help from the giants? What was Dumbledore thinking? First, letting dementors loose on the wild, then allying with the giants? Elizabeth couldn't really blame Fudge for looking horrified and confused.

"You—you cannot be serious!" Fudge cried, backing away from Dumbledore, "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants—people hate them, Dumbledore—end of my career—"

"You are blinded by love of the office you hold, Cornelius!" Dumbledore's voice rose and Elizabeth stared at him, tensing a little, "You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any—and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now—take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers for Magic we have ever known. Fail to act—and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!"

Elizabeth knew that actions needed to be taken against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but Dumbledore was jumping straight to extremes. Fudge was right. Removing dementors and allying with giants were the worst things someone could do to make the public feel safe.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," Dumbledore went on, "We have reached a partying of ways. You must act as you see fit. And I—I shall act as I see fit."

"Now see here, Dumbledore!" Fudge tensed, holding himself tall, "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect fr you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me—"

"The only one against whom I intent to work is Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore said calmly, "If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

Fudge stood there, staring at Dumbledore. The anger had left his face and now he stood there, looking pale as he gripped to his hat in his hands.

"He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be..."

Elizabeth knew how Fudge felt. It was hard enough trying to accept the fact that one of her friends was now dead. Trying to accept it was caused by a man who had been the source of so much terror years ago was worse, even with the fact that Elizabeth had been aware that this could happen.

Snape moved towards Fudge, pushing up the sleeve of his robe. Elizabeth could see something in gray lines on his arm, but couldn't make out what it was. Fudge flinched away from Snape when he saw it.

"There," Snape snapped, "There. The Dark Mark. It's not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge moved away, his face still pale as he turned to Dumbledore, shaking his head.

"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore," he said in a shaky sort of voice, "But I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry." Fudge paused, heading to Harry's bed and dropping a bag of something that jingled onto the bedside table. "Your winnings. One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances..."

Fudge frowned, then turned and marched out of the room. Everyone was silent as Dumbledore turned around, looking to the group that was gathered around between Elizabeth and Harry's beds.

"There is work to be done," he said, watching everyone, "Molly...Am I right in thinking I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley said at once, even though she was quite pale herself, "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride."

"Then I need to send a message to Arthur. All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

"I'll go to Dad," Bull said as he got up "I'll go now."

"Excellent, tell him what happened," Dumbledore said with a nod, "Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry—"

"Leave it to me," Bill gave a nod as he left the hospital wing after a quick goodbye to the others. Dumbledore waited until Bill was gone before turning to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also—if she will consent to come—Madam Maxime."

Professor McGonagall gave a quick nod and headed out of the hospital wing. Dumbledore, then, turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"Poppy, would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."

"Very—very well," Madam Pomfrey said slowly, looking confused as she left. Dumbledore closed the hospital wing doors before turning back to the others.

"And now, it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are," Dumbledore said, "Sirius...if you could resume your usual form."

The dog that was Sirius seemed to study Dumbledore for a moment before returning to his human form. Severus looked furious, while Mrs. Weasley gave a shriek and stumbled backward away from the others.

"Mum, shut up!" Ron said loudly, "It's okay!"

"Him!" Snape's voice was more a growl as he stepped forward, "What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation, as are you, Severus," Dumbledore said as if he were a parent dealing with two children who didn't get along, "I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

Elizabeth knew for a fact that would never happen, and it didn't have anything to do with the looks of hatred on the two people's faces. Asking Sirius and Snape to get along was like asking for Hagrid to never work with animals again.

"I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

Elizabeth watched the two men, quite sure one was about to pull out a wand and jinx the other. Instead, they moved stiffly, barely taking the other's hand before letting it go again. It seemed to satisfy Dumbledore, however, because he went on.

"Now, I have work for each of you," he said, "Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."

Harry started to protest, but Sirius turned to him.

"You'll see me very soon, Harry," he said, "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand. Don't you?"

"Yeah..." Harry said slowly, "Yeah...Of course I do."

Sirius squeezed Harry's arm before turning to a dog again and heading out of the hospital wing, after Dumbledore opened the door for him. Then, Dumbledore closed the door back and turned to Snape.

"Severus. You know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...If you are prepared..."

"I am," Snape said and, without a word, he left. Elizabeth watched until Snape had completely disappeared, then turned to Dumbledore.

"I must go downstairs," he said, "I must see the Diggorys. Harry—take the rest of your potion. I will see you later."

Elizabeth felt her chest tighten again as Dumbledore left. She couldn't imagine what Mr. and Mrs. Diggory had to be going through right now...Cedric was her friend, yes, but he had been their _son_.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry."

Elizabeth turned to see Mrs. Weasley sitting on the edge of Harry's bed. Harry was sitting there, staring at the ceiling and Elizabeth could tell he was upset.

"I told him to take the cup with me," Harry said quietly.

Elizabeth gave a small start. There could have been a chance that Cedric would have lived? For a fleeting moment, Elizabeth felt a rush of anger towards her friends, but the second she saw the pain on his face—a look that vanished as he hid his head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder when she hugged him—that anger faded. It wasn't Harry's fault what had happened. It couldn't have been.

Something slammed down and Elizabeth jumped, turning to see Hermione by the window, her hand down on the edge of it. She looked up and her face flushed.

"Sorry," she muttered. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at her and noticed Hermione was being very careful to keep her hand closed around something.

She didn't get a chance to ask, however, because Madam Pomfrey had come back. She insisted on Harry and Elizabeth getting some sleep. Harry had to take the rest of his potion and Elizabeth settled back, but unlike Harry, she couldn't sleep. She ended up staying up most of the night, staring at the ceiling above her, the events replaying in her mind. Most especially, her dream.

She'd never thought she could actually be a Seer. She never wanted to be. Sure, she had once liked the idea of being able to know when something was coming but now that she had it, all it did was terrify her. She just wanted it gone.


	30. Chapter Thirty

_**Chapter Thirty:**_

Elizabeth ended up spending the last few days of terms almost completely with her fellow Hufflepuffs. It was not anything about not wanting to be around Harry, but more she needed to be with her House after the loss of one of their own. Though the whole time, very little was ever said. The Hufflepuff common room had never been so quiet—not even in their second year after Justin had been petrified. Elizabeth spent most of her time around her fellow fourth years, the group sitting in a small circle near the fireplace. Lewis was over often, sitting silently between Susan and Elizabeth. He had only spoken once, telling Elizabeth that he had written to their mother to tell her what had happened.

When the final day at Hogwarts came, Elizabeth spent the entirety of it in her dormitory, packing away her things. As usual of late, the atmosphere was quiet and solemn. Aside from the occasional asking the others if something was theirs, no one said anything. There wasn't the usual chatter of summer plans or being glad another year was over. It was clear everyone wanted to be home, but for a completely different reason than why they would have wanted it in the years before.

Elizabeth's breath caught a little when they went into the Great Hall for the End of Term Feast. The usual banners were missing, instead replaced by black draperies. For an instant, Elizabeth thought of her horrid nightmare. Then, she reminded herself that in her nightmare, the Great Hall had been completely empty, not full but quiet as it was now.

Elizabeth sat down with the others, no one speaking at the Hufflepuff table. She saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione nearby and she gave them a small wave, which Harry returned.

"The end of another year," Dumbledore spoke up at the staff table and Elizabeth put down her fork. She'd barely eaten any of her food, but as was becoming usual, she didn't have much of an appetite anyway.

"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," Dumbledore went on, and Elizabeth noticed his gaze lingered on her table, "But I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here enjoying our feat with us. I would like you all, please, to stand and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

There was a low echoing of Cedric's name as everyone rose to their feet and lifted their goblets. Elizabeth could feel tears stinging at the corner of her eyes again and she wiped her face, glancing towards the Ravenclaw table where Cho was staring down at her feet.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff House," Dumbledore said when everyone took their seats again, "He was a good and loyal friend—" (Elizabeth noticed Lewis tensed and became preoccupied with his food as a few people looked towards him) "—A hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about. Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

Elizabeth twitched, and several people gave small gasps. Many were staring at Dumbledore, their eyes wide with fear. Elizabeth saw Susan had gone even more pale than before, and Lewis—oddly—was glaring at Dumbledore. Elizabeth couldn't understand. Wouldn't he want to know how his best friend died?

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this," Dumbledore went on, "It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so—either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death. I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

Elizabeth glanced to Harry, who was frowning and clearly wishing he hadn't been mentioned.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore said, "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."

Again, everyone (or nearly everyone) followed Dumbledore in a toast to Harry. Elizabeth noticed the Slytherin table remained in their seats and—Elizabeth's stomach tightened—so did Lewis. Elizabeth stared at him, wondering what was wrong.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further promote magical understanding," Dumbledore continued, "In the light of what has happened—of Lord Voldemort's return—such ties are more important than ever." Dumbledore paused to glance around the room at the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. "Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you al, once again—in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

"It is my belief—and never have I so hoped I am mistaken—that we are facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our mist."

Elizabeth glanced at the frowns on the faces of her fellow Hufflepuffs. She knew plenty about the loss due to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. She lost her father before she was even born. She saw the effects of what happened to Neville's parents was doing to him and his grandmother. Susan had lost an uncle, aunt, and cousins before she'd gotten to know them...

"Remember Cedric," Dumbledore said, "Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

**xxxxx**

Elizabeth finally got the chance to talk to Harry again the following day, as she broke from the Hufflepuffs to sit with Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the Hogwarts Express. Hedwig and Pigwidgeon were napping overhead while Crookshanks was curled in a corner, and Cream stayed in Elizabeth's lap. As the train made its way home, Harry told them about what had happened to him.

He told them that the Professor Moody they'd known all year had been Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise. (Elizabeth was horrified at this, remembering how she'd had detention with him, how she'd been alone in a room with a madman.) Harry went on to tell them that Barty Crouch Jr. had turned the Triwizard Cup into a portkey, so when Harry and Cedric had grabbed it, they'd been transported away from Hogwarts to some graveyard. Wormtail—the man who had disguised himself as Ron's rat Scabbers—was there, and he had been the one to kill Cedric. He had done some ritual to bring He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named back to life, and they had summoned Death Eaters. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had tried to kill Harry, but his wand had caused some sort of shield and he was able to escape back to the portkey with Cedric. The rest, Elizabeth and the others already knew from piecing things together after Harry had come back.

Harry had just finished explaining what had happened—which odd glances to Elizabeth whenever he mentioned Cedric—when the lunch trolley came by. Hermione bought them all some sweets and Elizabeth opened her pack of Berty Bott's Beans s Hermione unrolled a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ she'd been carrying.

"There's nothing in here," she said, and Elizabeth saw her looking to Harry, "You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking every day. Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you won the tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me, Fudge is forcing them to keep it quiet."

"He'll never keep Rita quiet," Harry said, "Not on a story like this."

"I'm surprised she hasn't written a story already," Elizabeth said, scratching Cream behind the ears.

"Oh, Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while," Hermione said confidently, "Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on _her_."

"What're you talking about?" Ron asked.

"I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to coming onto the grounds," Hermione said in one very fast breath. Elizabeth sat up more.

"How?" Elizabeth, Ron, and Harry chorused.

"Well, it was really you who gave me the idea, Harry," Hermione said with a grin.

"Did I?" Harry looked confused.

"_Bugging_."

"But you said they didn't work—"

"Oh, not _electronic_ bugs," Hermione cut in, holding herself straight and had a look on her face as if she'd been prepping for this, "No, you see...Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn—" she paused to pull a jar from her bag. "—into a beetle."

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she leaned forward to stare at the jar. Inside was a fat beetle that had an unmistakable marking around its eyes—just like the rhinestones on Skeeter's glasses.

"I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing," Hermione said happily.

"There was a beetle sitting on the window in Divination when I passed out," Harry said, a look of realization on his face.

"Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we'd had our conversation by the lake. She's been buzzing around for stories all year." Hermione held up the jar a little. "I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London. I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's got to keep her quill to herself for a while year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people."

"Very clever, Granger."

Elizabeth looked up to see Malfoy was standing in the compartment doorway, Crabbe and Goyle right behind as usual. All three of them looked incredibly smug with themselves. Elizabeth didn't like it.

"So, you caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite again. Big deal." Malfoy smirked at them. "Trying not to think about it, are we? Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"

Elizabeth tensed, her hand going to her wand as Harry told Malfoy and his goons to shove off.

"You've picked the losing side, Potter," Malfoy ignored Harry's comment, "I warned you! I told you you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train, first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this!" Malfoy paused to motion to Elizabeth, Ron, and Hermione. Elizabeth glared, tightening her grip on her wand. "Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well—second—Diggory was f—"

That was the final straw. Elizabeth was on her feet (Cream hissed and ran to the corner of the compartment) and shot off a hex at Malfoy. She hadn't been alone. Hermione, Ron, and Harry had shot off their own jinxes, as well as a couple of bangs coming from out of sight in the corridor. In an instant, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were unconscious on the floor—Malfoy was sprouting tentacles out of his face. For the first time in over a week, Elizabeth was grinning.

Fred and George appeared, stepping around the unconscious Slytherins.

"Thought we'd see what those three were up to," Fred said. George studied the three on the ground.

"Who used Furnunculus Curse?"

"Me," Harry said.

"Odd," George said in odd fascination, "I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed. Well, let's not leave them here, they don't add much to the décor."

A few minutes later, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were shut away in an empty compartment and Fred and George decided to join the others for a game of Exploding Snap.

"You going to tell us, then?" Harry asked, looking to Fred and George, "Who you were blackmailing?"

Elizabeth looked up. She had forgotten about that, honestly.

"It doesn't matter," Fred said, "It wasn't anything important. Not now, anyway."

"We've given up," George added with a shrug.

Elizabeth and the others weren't going to give up, however, and kept badgering the twins until they finally gave in and told them.

"Bagman?" Harry echoed in shock, "Are you saying he was involved in—"

"Nah, nothing like that," George said, "Stupid git. He wouldn't have had the brains."

"Well, what, then?" Ron asked.

"You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup?" Fred asked, "About how Ireland would win, but Krum would catch the Snitch?"

"The git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught form the Irish mascots."

"So it vanished. By the next morning, it had gone!"

"Maybe it was just a mistake," Elizabeth said, "Maybe he just got it mixed up."

George gave a laugh at that.

"Yeah, that's what we thought at first," he said, "We thought if we just wrote him, and told him he'd made a mistake, he'd cough up. But nothing doing. Ignored our letter. We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us."

"In the end, he turned pretty nasty," Fred added, "Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn't giving us anything."

"So we asked for our money back."

"He didn't refuse!" Hermione looked horrified.

"Right in one," Fred said.

"But that was all your savings!"

"Tell me about it," George said, "'Course, we found out what was gong on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?"

"How?"

"He put a bet on you, mate," Fred said, looking to Harry, "Put a big bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins."

"That is the stupidest thing anyone could ever do," Elizabeth said, "Never do business with goblins. They're good for running Gringotts, but I wouldn't do any sort of partnership with them."

With the story of Bagman out in the open now, the group returned to their game of Exploding Snap. They chatted about more cheerful things, avoiding talk about what had happened the past year and instead talked about plans for the summer. Hermione mentioned she was going to try and visit Viktor Krum over the summer. Ron—who was now accepting of Krum again since the tournament was over—teased her relentlessly over it and only stopped once Hermione threatened to jinx him like they had just done to Malfoy.

When the train slowed to a stop, Elizabeth and the others got off. Elizabeth pulled along her trunk, carrying Cream in her carrier in her other hand. She saw Lewis heading over to where their mother was waiting, and Elizabeth turned to Harry, letting go of her stuff long enough to hug him.

"I'll write as soon as I can," she said, turning to Hermione and Ron, see you over the summer."

Elizabeth gave her goodbyes, then grabbed her things and headed off to where her mother was waiting. After all that had happened in the past year, she was eager for the familiar safety of home.

* * *

**A/N:** And here ends _Elizabeth Martin: Year of Changes_. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'm in the process of planning the next installment: _Year of Rebellions_. Stay tuned!

And for anyone curious about Ron's behavior towards Krum and Hermione's relationship in this chapter, I will state now that Ron/Hermione won't happen within this series like I originally planned. I have ideas for them, but they won't come along until much later. Like with everything else, you'll have to stay tuned.


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